Kyoudai
by Kishi
Summary: They didn't want to end up in the Avatar world. They didn't mean to end up in the Avatar world. They didn't even LIKE the Avatar world. So what are they doing there? Rated for Language AND now with Hotspur!
1. Chapter 1

Kishi: Well, yet another S/I... you might say I'm crazy. And who knows? Maybe you're right.

---

Kyoudai

Chapter 1

---

A loud bang brought the sighing figure out of warmer climes. "Ryan! What the hell are you doing out here?"

"Come out and see!" came the growled reply. The figure walked down the stairs and into the garage. The formerly empty garage. The garage filled now with various electronic components littering the ground and tools all over the floor. The body laying on the floor beneath the mess couldn't be discounted either.

"This doesn't explain the bang," said the figure.

"Some of my components fell off the shelf," said Ryan, sliding his grizzled face out of the mass. He pointed at the remains of a VCR.

"Crap!" The other guy ran over and knelt by the shattered remnants. "Don't tell me we're going to replace these, please."

"Oh, no need. The thing's already built."

"But... but..." the taller sputtered. "What the hell are you doing on the ground?"

"Doing some last minute tweaks that you couldn't possibly understand."

"Yeah, and you do?"

"Oh hush," the older teen growled as he stood up.

"So, let's see," said the taller, the younger. "You've been working for five days straight over winter break with nothing but sugar and caffeine on... something."

"Yeah."

"And... what does this thing do?"

Ryan stared at the congomeration of wires and metal and dials and buttons. "You know," he said after a moment, "I have no idea."

"I knew you should've called Stephen in on this."

"He'd never have helped out with this... this... whatever it is."

"And why not?"

"Because we have no idea what this thing is!"

"But that's half the fun!"

"Fair enough, Jay. Fair enough." The two sighed as they looked at the... thing.

"So who's going to push the button?" asked John.

"I nominate you."

"Why me?"

"Because dangerous and stupid are things you do."

"No, that's you, book man."

"But it's a button! You love buttons!"

John stared at his brother before sighing. "You're right," he said. He walked over and, looking around nervously, pressed the button.

And the thing exploded.

---

Kishi: This is more of a prologue than anything. Um... yeah. Some might think that this is the end of my credibility as an author, but I say "Nay!" The idea of this story is to create circumstances where the world changes the characters, rather than the characters changing the world. It worked for Sean Gaffney, didn't it? Didn't it?

Avatar: The Last Air Bender is copyrighted to people who aren't me. I don't know who they are, otherwise, I'd give 'em credit.

The only things I own in this story are those things that I perceive as being original, and thusly are mine. If you recognize something that you came up with first, all credit goes to you.

I have no clue where you can contact me. I think the address is in my profile…


	2. Chapter 2

-1Kishi: All right! It's time to really get this thing underway. And so much positive feedback! Woohoo!

---

Kyoudai

Chapter 2

---

Zuko stared at the beam of light. _At last_. He turned to the old man behind him. "Uncle! Do you know what this means?"

"It's probably nothing, Prince Zuko," said the old man. "Possibly the Celestial Lights."

"No!" growled the Prince. "Something powerful must have made that light. What else could it be if it wasn't the Avatar?"

"You've been out here after this for a long time, Prince Zuko," said the old man. "I don't want you to get your hopes up. Come now, why not have a cup of calming jasmine tea?"

"_I don't need any tea!_" Zuko shouted. "I need to capture the Avatar! Helmsman! Set a course-"

A strange noise suddenly pierced the air. Zuko's eyes narrowed as he cast about him, trying to find the source of it - maybe then he could determine why it sounded so very familiar...

As the noise became louder, he was able to resolve it into the sound of a man shouting. Screaming, more like. In utter, abject terror. But there couldn't be anybody out on the ice floes, so where--

"aaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAA!" _GONG_.

The answer came crashing down into the deck of his ship, leaving a decent dent in the metal. Zuko, after recovering from his surprise, took a cautious step toward the small crater left by the object, as the old man responded in kind. Zuko suddenly found himself surprised as he took in a man - no, not with that hair color! - a man-shaped beast sprawled out in the indent.

"That's not something you see every day," the old man remarked drolly.

"No it's not," Zuko growled. "Take it to the brig. I want it chained, assuming it's still alive."

---

The young boy wasn't quite sure what had happened. One moment he'd pressed the button, and the next here he was, flying through the sky. Flying in a decidedly downward direction, at that.

Now, the boy considered himself to be a reasonable man of 17 summers. He had a calm, level head on his shoulders, and he knew how to handle himself in rough situations. Assessing his current position, and thinking upon it for the prerequisite seconds, he arrived at his only choice:

He screamed for all he was worth as the world approached him.

---

"Ugh... ah, crap," muttered the strangely-colored thing. Iroh nodded to himself.

"Good to see you awake," he said as the man-thing shifted itself into a sitting position. The thing opened its eyes, a strange greenish shade with flecks of brown. He almost missed them, hidden behind the shine of the strange device on his face.

The thing looked at him without any real clear comprehension. "Uh... where am I, again?"

"You, my young friend, are in a cell on the ship _Suzaku_. Now, what is your name?"

"Suzaku? The hell?" The man-thing removed the double monocles from his face and rubbed his eyes. He ran a hand through that strange hair - not quite brown, but with a touch of gold to lighten it, and so ridiculously curly at the edges! - and regarded the General with a calm gaze. "I wasn't on a ship."

"Where you were is irrelevant," said Iroh. "You're here now, and my nephew is going to have you drawn and quartered if you can't tell me your name."

"That's harsh," the man-thing said, replacing his glasses. He looked up at Iroh with narrowed eyes. "I'm Ryan," he said, finally. "And you?"

"Iroh," he said with a shrug. "Now, how did you come to be flying through the air and onto this ship?"

"Iroh?" The young man paused, and blinked a couple of times. "You're kidding me. _Iroh_?"

"You've heard of me?"

"Eh... could say that..." Ryan seemed to be shaking, and suddenly burst out laughing.

Iroh blinked. "Are you all right?"

Ryan continued laughing for a few seconds before calming down enough to respond: "I'm peachy, sir. Bloody great."

"Very good," said Iroh. "Now, to get back to the question at hand. What are you doing here?"

"Sir, I don't think you'd believe me if I told you."

"Why not say and let me decide?"

"Fair enough," the young man said. He drew himself up - as much as he could sitting - and said, "I'm here to marry Prince Zuko!"

There was a long awkward pause.

Then the young man burst out laughing again. Iroh smirked in lieu of grinning - the idea of it was absurd! Either the young man truly didn't realize how much trouble he was in or he was utterly insane.

Maybe he was just confused. Overstressed. The man had come falling from the sky. Maybe that would account for it.

Iroh turned and left, saying to the guards "Keep an eye on this one. He may try something."

---

Three days in the midnight sun had left the young man very cold and disoriented in these frigid climes. He had spent much of his first day wandering - until he had met the colony of penguins. They had seemed fairly apathetic, but he had an easy time convincing himself otherwise. He'd even given some of them names, and now they seemed as family to him.

"I say!" he remarked as he approached a penguin. "It's Archduke Ferdinand! Come to grace the Peasants, have we?"

"WARK!"

"Oh come now, those bloody Serbs would never dare to touch you!" The young man grinned, and turned to speak to another when he saw them - people. Two, to be precise. And they'd drawn quite a crowd. Normally, the young man would have tried to approach these two, but he couldn't bring himself to do so. These penguins were his _family!_ He was needed! He held off predators and defended the young! Even if nothing had happened in the past couple days – indeed, it had been rather boring – he could not, would not let anything come between he and his family.

He had passed through this entire train of thought and emerged just in time to see – "Archduke! _Noooo!_" For the Archduke had been seduced by the promise of a very tiny fish – and now the little bald kid with the arrows was sitting. On the Archduke. Like he was a sled or something.

The _indignity!_ And then the little trollop next to him decided to do similarly – with _Sophie!_

This would not do. This would not do at all. As the two pushed off with the royal couple underneath, the young man quickly tackled another penguin to the ground. The penguin _warked_ in protest. "No time for questions, Gavrilo!" the young man shouted as he pushed off. "After them!"

-

Katara had to admit, it'd been a long time since she'd been penguin sledding. It was exhilarating, though, to race along the ice, to feel the bitter sting of the wind whipping her face. Having someone besides her brother for company was rather refreshing too.

They finally slid to a stop. She turned to the boy next to her, laughing. "Wow! I'd forgotten how much fun—"

There was a loud _thump_ behind them. "OH, whoa God!" a voice shouted, and a second later a body followed. It slid along the ice before slowing to a stop in front of them, right on the edge of jagged shadows.

"Um," said Aang. He sounded remotely uncertain. "Are you okay?"

"Um…" the young man himself seemed uncertain. "Maybe?"

"That was a bit of a fall there," said Katara. "Did you slide all the way like that?"

"No," he said. "Gavrilo, he hit a piece of ice weird and just tossed me…"

"Gavrilo?" _What an odd name_, she thought. Then again, it was an odd person that was climbing to stand before them. He was tall, skinny, and pale. His hair was an odd orangey color, and cut short – very short. If it were any shorter, he wouldn't have any hair at all. His eyes were green, as near as she could tell, but it was a yellowy green - or maybe those dual monocles on his face distorted the colors. He was also wearing a black shirt with the sleeves cut short, and black cotton pants that hung off of him loosely. There was also some strange design on the shirt – a triangle with the yin-yang symbol, and three strangely curved swords, all on the left breast.

"So what's your name?" asked Aang, an eager grin on his face.

"I'm John," the young man said. "And y'all are…"

"Aang," said Aang, "and that's Katara."

"No friggin' way," the young man replied.

"Is there something wrong?" asked Katara.

"Hell yeah there's something wrong! You guys don't exist!"

"Excuse me?"

"I mean, shit! _Shit!_ What the fuck was that dickhead bro of mine doing anyway? Why the fuck did I press that button! I mean, _fuck!_ This is all some big mistake!"

Aang's look suggested John had grown a third head. The expression for second had passed earlier. "O-kay, there. We're going onboard the ship now."

"It's a Fire Navy ship," said Katara. "From when they first invaded. We shouldn't go near it."

"Come on, Katara. What could possibly happen?"

"A lot," said John. "Y'all can go if you want, but count me out."

Aang nodded and started forward. Katara, her face concerned, walked after him.

-

"Yeah, that was probably the idea anyway," John growled. He sat down on the ice. "The faggoty fucktard. I swear, Ryan's dead when I see him next."

He spent his time watching the sun and the clouds pass overhead. It'd been his favorite time-killer back with the penguins, and it served him well now. He didn't know how many minutes passed as the sun tracked into the west, but he was called from his reverie with a loud _boom_. He sat up and turned back to the ship and saw a flare in the sky.

"Wow," he said. "Aside from the dialogue, this place follows the series pretty close. Which means..." Then he remembered what happened in the next episode. "Ah, _crap! _Damn you, Ryan!"

---

Kishi: Well, the idea is to parallel the original story as closely as possible. To that end, I'm working out how the episodes go and figuring things from there. The updates on this thing are probably going to correlate with DVD releases so… yeah.

Avatar: The Last Air Bender is copyrighted to people who aren't me. I don't know who they are, otherwise, I'd give 'em credit.

The only things I own in this story are those things that I perceive as being original, and thusly are mine. If you recognize something that you came up with first, all credit goes to you.

I have no clue where you can contact me. I think the address is in my profile…


	3. Chapter 3

Kishi: And on and on...

---

Kyoudai

Chapter 3

---

The flare exploded out the top of the trapped boat. "Yup," John muttered. "Great. At least I'll be able to leave this place soon."

Not even a minute passed before he heard the sound of something landing on the ice above. He turned and squinted up just as a human-shaped shadow leapt down to the ice. The shadow - Aang - set Katara on the ground shaking his head. His face and the slump of his shoulders suggested that he'd undergone some manner of change.

"Yeah. Brilliant idea there, Airhead."

"Airhead? What does that mean?"

"Um... nevermind. So. Um." John fumbled for words, and his hand shot to the back of his head. "Are y'all headed back to your village?"

"Yeah," said Katara. "We have to get back and let them know what's going on."

"You mind if I come along?"

"Why should we?"

"'cuz I have nowhere else to go," said John. "I mean, if you don't want to, that's fine... I'm sure the penguins'd love to have me back."

Aang turned to Katara. "Come on, Katara. Let's take him back with us. I mean, what's the worst that could happen?"

---

_Okay, Ryan me lad. Let's go ahead and take inventory, shall we?_ Ryan reached into the pockets of his jeans and emptied their contents, taking mental stock of each one.

_One wallet. Leather. Empty._

_One cellphone. Empty battery._

_Several pieces of paper. I don't have the heart to get rid of them. Bugger._

_Two keys - one for the dorm, one for the car. Both useless._

_And... I'm going to break out of this cell _how_ exactly?_ He sighed as he replaced the contents of his pockets.

_Well, let's see what my odds are_, he thought to himself. _And keep it quiet! The guards might hear! Hookay, it's one amateur martial artist against a shipload of trained soldiers... but nevermind! Let's start with the two outside! So it's me, out of shape, with no weapons or armor, against two armed and armored foes..._. Ugh.

So there was only one real chance, if he was to have one at all - surprise. Maybe when they came to deliver a meal for him. Or maybe if they were unlocking the door. Or something.

... eh. He'd just have to sit and wait. He hunched himself in his corner. Best keep up the charade that he was out of his mind.

---

Aang, Katara, Appa and John trooped down the path leading to the village gates. As they approached, John could see a bunch of blue-clad villagers at the front. They were mostly women and children - however, the two in the middle stood out. One was a woman bent over with age. The other was a young man - maybe his age, maybe a little younger - and he did not look happy. The younger children, however, didn't seem to share his distaste. They crowded about Aang and Katara, shouting in greeting.

The older boy's shout was a little less enthusiastic. "Do you have any idea what you've done!"

"Oh!" said Aang. "You mean that flare?"

"Yeah! You just announced to any Fire Nation ships out there where we are! They're probably coming right this way!"

"Well... we didn't mean to," said Aang. "There was just this booby trap and we sort of... boobied on into it."

John started chuckling at the choice of words. That was when the older boy - _guess he's Sokka_ - took notice.

"Oh!" said Katara, as if just noticing him. "This is John. We met him at the Fire Nation shipwreck and--"

_Ooh yeah. Great word choice there_.

"_What!_" Sokka fumed. "You met him at the _shipwreck_! He's probably a spy! I bet he set up that flare!"

"No, Sokka," said Aang. "This was my fault. If I hadn't said we should go into the ship, none of this would have happened."

"Oh, so that's what happened," snarled Sokka. "Men! Away from the enemy! He's banished from our village!"

"What!" cried Katara. "Gran-Gran, wait a minute!"

"Your brother is right, Katara," said the elderly woman. "He has brought great trouble upon all of us. It's safer for the village if he leaves."

"But can't you see the good Aang has done for us!" Katara shouted in protest. "He's shown us something we haven't had in a long time - fun. You can't mean that he has to be kicked out!"

"Katara," said Sokka, "it's him or us. I choose us."

"_Fine!_" she bit out. "Then I'm going too!" She spun angrily and stomped toward the bison.

"Uh... Katara?" asked Aang. "Where are you going?"

"With you! We're going to find a Water Bending master."

"Guess I'm with you, then," said John as he turned to follow.

But then he heard Sokka's voice: "Katara! Do you really mean that? Would you leave behind your tribe? Your family?"

John could see the look on her face become far less certain. Aang stepped away from her with a sad smile. "Don't worry," he said. "You shouldn't have to leave your family."

"But what are you going to do, then?" she asked.

"Head back to the temple," he said with a shrug. "I guess I'll just pick up my life where I left off. Which means... wow. I haven't cleaned my room in a hundred years! Not looking forward to that..." He offered a smile to Katara before leaping up to Appa's reigns.

_No need to hurry_, thought John as Sokka taunted the bison. _He won't fly yet. I'll just walk alongside_.

---

…

…

…

…

…_man, time passes slow when you're bored_…

…

…

…_I'm hungry_…

---

Appa sounded a low moan. "I know boy," said Aang. "I miss them too."

"So when are we getting out of here?" asked John.

"Why does it matter?" asked Aang with a stretch. "It's not like the Temple's going somewhere." The monk sighed, looking out to sea – and that was when he saw it. A low, dark, metal ship cruising through the waters. He followed it, scanned with his eyes toward land, and immediately it was clear where they were going.

He heard a low curse from beneath, and decided that fit the mood entirely too well. "Stay with Appa!" he said as he leapt from his perch in the ice. "I'm heading back to the village."

---

"Hm? We're slowing down?" asked Ryan to the air. He paused, reasoning to himself. "Oh. So this must be the part when…" Realizing what he was about to say, he quickly shut himself up. _We must be near the part where the Avatar shows up! Shoot! This is probably the best chance of escape I've got!_

_Okay, Ryan, stay sharp. Things are about to get interesting._

---

John watched as the Fire Nation ship pulled away from the village inlet. "All right. Enough's enough. We gotta get moving." He looked over at Appa. "Okay, Appa. Um... move."

Appa swung his head at the mention of his name, but no other movement could be seen.

"Giddyap?"

Nothing.

"Maybe if I kick you really hard?"

Nothing.

"Look, Appa, come on," groaned John. "We gotta move. That ship out there has Aang on it, and we gotta get him back... so get the hell up already!"

At the mention of Aang, however, Appa started moving. He didn't even seem to hear anything else that John had said - which, he realized, was probably for the best. One sweep of the tail would probably send the hapless young man flying further than he'd ever meant to.

---

Steps in the hallway alerted Ryan to the coming of the guards. "Okay, time to do this. No holds barred. I'm gonna do it. I'm getting out, I'm getting out, I'm getting out. Ain't no stoppin' me, laugh if you try, 'cuz I'm busting ou-"

There was a loud _wham_ at the door. _Huh?_ Cautiously, Ryan stood and crept over to the door. He gave an experimental push and was surprised when it gave a little. He pushed harder, and the door opened. He could see a body lying at his feet, masked. No blood though, so it was probably a knock-out.

"Well. That was nice," he said to himself. "Thank you, Lord."

He looked down the hall. His cell seemed to be at the end of a prison block, with some sort of intersection waiting past the other holding areas. All hard metal, pipes running along the walls and ceiling, red lanterns to light the way.

_No way but forward_. He jogged down the length of the corridor, and turned left at the intersection. More metal, more pipery. _No way but forward_. He kept running, turning right, left, right, left, right - and running into a wall.

"Damn," he muttered. "Must've hit the port side. I'll have to backtrack and--"

"Hey! You!"

... oh. Ryan turned around, a mild expression on his face. "Me, sir?"

The masked helmet identified his assailant as a Fire Bender. Ryan tried to size him up - a little shorter, with a soldier's leanness. Armored in the red lacquer and horned helmet of the Fire Nation. No weapons on him, not that he'd need any. _And if the distance stays, he'll have me for sure_.

"Yes, you! Identify yourself!"

"Sir! Ryan, sir, of the house of Reinbach! The Third!" Ryan affected a rigid salute, back straight, feet together, fist to palm and held in front.

"_Get down!_" the Bender roared. "There is no house of Reinbach in the Nation. Get down, and put your hands on your head!"

A part of him considered doing something foolish, like rushing the guard, but a cooler voice prevailed - _play along for now. You'll get another shot._ So he turned around, his hands raised. He heard the footsteps approaching, slow and methodical. _WhatdoIdowhatdoIdowhatdoIdoohGodohGodwhyme--_

And then one of his old lessons came to mind, and he knew what he had to do. He felt the Fire Bender's hand clap down on his shoulder. Immediately he sank into a low Horse Stance and thrust his elbows back behind him. One connected, and the Fire Bender stumbled back with a low grunt. Ryan spun about, thrusting his foot out in some parody of a sidekick. Both stumbled from the poor technique. Ryan refused to be stopped, though. He stepped forward, as the Fire Bender thrust a palm forward. The air ignited in a rush of flame.

Ryan quickly stepped to the outside. His hands flowed almost without thought, pushing the Fire Bender's arm aside. Then he grabbed and pulled with his waist, thrusting his fist forward. The blow landed in the Fire Bender's armpit, and the young man shouted in pain. Ryan quickly smashed the man's arm for leverage and spun him about into the wall.

As the man slumped, Ryan stared at his hands. "No way... no way," he muttered. "Had to be luck... no way I'm that good..." He heard echoing footsteps and turned to see another young man. This one was dressed in a red tunic with darker red bottoms. He also wore a pair of thick leather gloves, and a pair of goggles was strung through his matted hair. The man looked, saw the soldier at Ryan's feet, and his eyes widened.

_Sorry, dude, but I don't have time to be delicate!_ Ryan ran forward, contorting his face as fiercely as he could. Fortune seemed to be on his side - the man was so stunned by his bravado that he didn't move. Ryan slammed him into the wall and put his hand to cover the man's mouth.

"Don't make any sudden noises," he growled. The man nodded with wide eyes. "Now, tell me how to get to the deck."

---

John watched as Aang exploded out of the water in the midst of a whirl. The water set him down on the deck - John tried to see what was going on, and his eyes widened as the water blew outward and knocked the other soldiers overboard. They lowered down, and John didn't see any purpose in getting down and interfering.

And then the soldiers started to get back up. "Aw, _hell_ no," he growled. He started seeing about how to get down, and slid down Appa's tail. "Hey!" he shouted to the first one. "Stay down!" He kicked the soldier in the middle and seemed to destabilize him just enough. As he fell down, John stomped on his back. He seemed to hit more armor than anything, but at least the man was down.

"John!" He started at the familiar voice. He turned and saw a head of curls emerging from below-deck.

"Ryan! Finally! Where the--"

"Get the Avatar and run!" the older boy roared. "There are troops getting ready to come out!" He climbed the rest of the way onto the deck.

There was an icy crackle as Katara froze the guards.

"Right!"

Suddenly a pair of guards burst on and grabbed him by legs. Ryan collapsed forward, with a shout and a loud exhale. "Go! _Go!_"

It wasn't that John was disloyal to his brother, but he could see that this would get absolutely nowhere fast. "Dammit. Sorry. See you 'round!" He ran for Appa, scrambling up the tail as troops scrambled out onto the deck.

---

Kishi: Well, since we all know how it goes from here, I don't really see a reason to worry about it. John's smart enough to know when to interfere and when not.

Avatar: The Last Air Bender is copyrighted to people who aren't me. I don't know who they are, otherwise, I'd give 'em credit.

The only things I own in this story are those things that I perceive as being original, and thusly are mine. If you recognize something that you came up with first, all credit goes to you.

I have no clue where you can contact me. I think the address is in my profile…


	4. Chapter 4

Kishi: Ah. All the demented fun. I've actually missed this fic all summer. Sorry it took so long for me to get back!

---

Kyoudai

Chapter 4

---

The day dawned bright and clear. Aang and Katara were up already, getting Appa ready for the trip to the Southern Air Temple.

"Wait 'til you see it, Katara. The Air Temple is one of the most beautiful places in the world," said Aang. The excitement in his voice was not something easily contained.

"Aang, I know you're excited," said Katara, her notes a little less enthused, "but it's been a hundred years since you've been home."

"That's why I'm so excited!"

"It's just that a lot can change in all that time."

"What I don't get," interjected a certain shorn-headed individual, "is why we had to get up at dawn to see it. I mean, it's still going to be beautiful later, right?"

"Yeah," said Aang with a shrug. "So why put it off?"

"Um... uh..." John fumbled. "Good point."

Aang turned to the sleeping form of Sokka. "Wake up, Sokka! Air Temple, here we come!"

"Sleep now... temple later," was the groggy reply as Sokka rolled over to face away. Aang blinked at this before a grin spread across his features. As John and Katara watched, he picked up a stick and crept over to the prone form.

"I wonder if he's going to beat him with it?" mused John.

Suddenly, Aang shouted: "Sokka! Wake up! There's a prickle snake in your sleeping bag!" He began to run the stick up and down the sleeping bag.

"Aaaahhh! Get it off! Get it off! Aaahhh!" Sokka began to hop around hysterically before tripping and falling on the ground.

Katara and John started laughing as Aang said brightly, "Great! You're awake. Let's go."

---

In a cell in the belly of Suzaku, Ryan shook his head. "Well," he said, "that was a load of fun. Captured by the guards and beaten but good for the trouble of escape. Really positive."

He looked around - metal, metal everywhere. Metal walls, metal ceiling, metal floor, metal door. Nothing but hard steel as far as his eyes could see. Not even the luxury of a window, just a ventilation shaft that barely let in enough air. Probably to keep the Fire Bending to a minimum, he figured.

"Well," he said at last, "if the next attempt is going to succeed, I'm going to need some practice." He stood up and silently began to stretch.

---

"Hey! Who ate all my blubbered seal jerky?"

"Oh, that was food? I used it to start the campfire last night. Sorry."

"You WHAT?" Sokka groaned.

"Brilliant," groused John. His own stomach wasn't taking too well to the lack of food either.

He watched as Katara sidled up to Aang and began to talk in low tones with him. I wonder what the temple is going to be like? he thought to himself. I mean, sure, you can watch it on the show, but everything I've seen so far has just beaten the living crap out of it. I mean, Appa is just friggin' huge... you don't get that through the television.

John chose not to voice his thoughts, instead simply watching as the mountains loomed ever larger. And then, there it was - tall spires reaching up into the sky, seemingly a part of the clouds themselves.

"There it is," said Aang. "The Southern Air Temple."

There was a sharp intake of breath. "Aang, it's amazing!"

"We're home, buddy," said the boy to the bison. "We're home."

---

Having run through all of his stretches, Ryan began to run himself through conditioning exercises. Down, up... 48. Down, up... 49. Down, up... 50. He pulled back on his haunches, easing the pressure on his knuckles. He lifted his hands to examine the handiwork:

Knuckles stinging, bleeding. Good.

He caught his breath for a minute, then positioned himself again, this time pressing his hands into a triangle. Down, up... 1. Down, up... 2.

---

John managed to tune out the banter of the group around him as he looked at the temple. The temple structure itself seemed to be integrated into the mountain. Paths had been carved into the rock of the mountain, following the contours, leading to stone steps that led into the flying eaves. The white stone of the temple contested with the brown rock of the mountain. And it was just as he had seen - the various pagoda of the temple stretched up and up, seeking unity with the clouds.

"Holy crap," he mused. "This is cool. I wonder if the Shaolin Temple back home is anything like this." He followed the group quietly, drawing little attention when they saw a parapet cut into the mountain, with several poles of varied height set in it. On each side of the field there was a goal set on either side.

"That's where my friends and I would play Air Ball!" Aang crowed, pointing to the field. "And... over there would be where the Bison would sleep... and..." He sighed.

"What's wrong?" asked Katara.

"This place used to be full of monks and lemurs and bison," he said. "Now there's just a bunch of weeds. I can't believe how much things have changed."

John, Katara, and Sokka all exchanged looks. "So, this Air Ball game," said Sokka presently. "How do you play?"

Aang lit up and raced down the hill, calling out instructions as he went. The other three shrugged and followed him. When they reached the set of poles, Aang told Sokka to climb up in front of the goal.

"What about you, John?" he asked. "You want in?"

"Nah, that's okay," said John with a faint grin. "I'll just keep my feet on the ground, if it's all the same to you."

"Suit yourself!" said Aang as he leapt up and grabbed a ball.

John walked around the field, watching as Aang and Sokka faced each other down on the poles. As he rounded a corner, onto Sokka's side, he stopped. Glaring up at him from the ground was a familiar helmet, with a skull mask and spikes.

"Ah, shit," he swore. "That's right. Fire Nation got here too. This is that episo-OOMPH!" Further musing was cut off when a warm something crashed into him, sending him to the snowy ground.

"Ow! Dammit! What was that?"

"Sorry John," groaned Sokka's voice. "Ugh. Making him feel better is putting me in a world of hurt."

Suddenly, he paused. John began struggling beneath him, limbs flailing. "Oi! Off! Hey!"

"Sorry," said Sokka again. "Katara, check this out."

John crawled out from under the boy just to see Katara come around and see the helmet. "Fire Nation," she said gravely.

"We should tell him," said Sokka.

Katara nodded, turned. "Aang! There's something you need to see."

"Okay!" he said, approaching with a bright grin on his face, and suddenly Katara looked less-than-sure of what they were doing. Before he got too much closer, Katara raised her hands and swept them downward. The snow on the upper bank suddenly collapsed on to the helmet - and Sokka. And John, too.

"What is it?" asked Aang as he approached, noticing the two downed teens.

"Uh... just a new Water Bending move I learned," Katara fibbed.

"Nice one," said Aang with a grin. "But enough practicing. We have a whole temple to see!"

He walked back up the path. Meanwhile, Sokka and John stood back up, wiping snow off their heads and shoulders. "You know," said Sokka in a low voice, "you can't protect him forever."

"I don't think I'd want her to try," groused John.

They followed him back up the path, trekking upward until at last they reached what seemed to be the entrance of the main temple.

Suddenly, Aang dashed forward, and three were alone again for just a moment. "Katara," Sokka started, "Fire Benders were here. You can't pretend that they weren't."

"I can for Aang's sake," she said, starting forward. "If he finds out that the Fire Nation invaded his home, he'll be devastated."

"Hey guys!" Aang's voice floated on the wind. "I want you to meet somebody!" The group followed his voice up the stairs, meeting him in front of a statue.

John was immediately reminded of a Buddha. This one seemed to have all the hallmarks - loose robe, lotus sitting position, cryptic look on the face. But this was an old man, and all the statues he had ever seen depicted an almost effeminate young man. "This is?" he prompted.

"Monk Gyatso, the greatest Air Bender in the world," Aang answered fervently. "He taught me everything I know." He bowed to the statue, placing fist to palm in the traditional style.

"You must miss him," said Katara, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Yeah," said Aang, before standing back up and walking forward, up the stairs of the main temple.

"Where are you going?"

"The Air Temple Sanctuary," he replied. "There's someone I'm ready to meet."

John followed the others up the stairs, through the long stone hallway to a huge wooden door. On this door was a strange woodcut that reminded John of a french horn. Three Air symbols protruded from the surface in a triangle pattern.

"Aang," Katara said slowly, "No one could have survived in there for a hundred years."

"Just like no one could survive in an iceberg for a hundred years," said John, drolly.

Katara looked at him, then shrugged. "Good point."

"Guys, whoever's in there might help me figure out this Avatar thing!" Aang exclaimed, his excitement catching.

"And whoever's in there might have a medley of delicious, cured meats!" crowed Sokka. He proceeded to hurl himself at the door, crashing into it with all his might - and the door refused to budge. He picked himself back up and heaved, straining against the door, yet the door remained impervious.

Finally, he slid down to the floor. "I don't suppose you have a key?" he asked wearily.

"The key, Sokka, is Air Bending," Aang replied. He took a deep breath, let it out, raised his arms so that they were perpendicular to his body - and pushed forward. Twin jets of air rushed from his arms and into the horns, causing the symbols to shake. Then, one by one, they flipped around, from a blue side to a maroon one. When the last one flipped, the door swung open. Aang nodded, and the four of them trooped into the Sanctuary.

---

In the corner of his cell, Ryan sat, panting for breath. Sweat streamed down his face, and his limbs were splayed before him, begging for no more commands.

"Damn this lack of air," he growled. "It's fine now, but all the deep-breathing I have to do kills me every time." But he wasn't done yet. He hadn't gone through everything he knew yet. Practice was not over.

Oh, but he wanted it to be. So he sat and waited, waited for his limbs to stop screaming at him, waiting, waiting...

---

"Statues? That's it? Where's the meat?"

"Just shut up," John muttered, rubbing his stomach. Dammit. Why does my mood always have something to do with my stomach? He looked around while the others were talking. There were statues, statues everywhere, starting in the center of the circular room and spiraling outward and upward. No two statues were alike – rather, each one seemed to represent a distinct culture, at least insofar as the four that existed in this world were concerned.

I guess this is the Avatar cycle, he said. Each one being one of Aang's past lives. Which means the last one must be Roku, then. He tried not to smirk, but the thought of an Avatar named 'Six' was almost too much.

Then he noticed a shadow approaching. It blotted out the light of the door, and was defined mostly by a pair of pointy… things coming off the head. John saw the others scramble behind two of the statues, but as for himself he simply stepped further back.

He heard fierce whispering from where the rest of the group was hiding, but made no noise of his own. Then he heard it: "Lemur!"

"Dinner!"

"Don't listen to him! You're going to be my new pet!"

"Not if I get him first!" There was crashing and shrieks as the two boys chased the animal out of the Sanctuary.

"John? Where are you?" Katara called out.

"Here," he said, stepping from behind his statue. "I'm just gonna keep on looking at the statues, though, if it's all the same to you."

---

He'd run through all of his techniques. He'd practiced each about a hundred times. He'd run through the katas thrice each. And now he was threatened with being bored again. And that would not do.

Ryan sighed, stretched again. "Hookay," he said, his limbs trembling. "Let's see about drills. Let's start with the footwork. Move on the 45…" He assumed the wu chi, the empty stance, then stepped forward at a 45-degree angle from whence he'd started. Then he retreated back along that line, before advancing again in the opposite angle.

And so it began again.

---

"I still don't get it," John grumbled, trying to ignore the pain of an empty middle. "I mean, what the heck are these statues useful for? What are they supposed to tell us?"

As if in answer to his query, the eyes all lit up. "Oh. Shat it all."

"Aang!" Katara cried out in worry. They both ran out of the room, through the hall, down the stairs. Already, John could sense something wrong – the wind had picked up an unnatural speed. Dust and debris from the temple had been picked up in it, and were flying, gliding to some point – oh. There. A whirlwind, forming over a ruined structure, at the base of the temple. They raced down the paths, the wind becoming fiercer and fiercer with every step – at one point, a strong gust tried to knock John into a wall – until they arrived.

"Crap!" John swore. Aang was floating in a sphere of energy, the wind kicking up a maelstrom about him. His marks were glowing, the same iridescent shine as in the eyes of the statues.

"What happened?" Katara shouted over the noise.

"He found out Fire Benders killed Gyatso!" Sokka shouted in response.

"Oh no!" Katara stared at them, eyes wide. "It's his Avatar Spirit! He must have triggered it! I'm gonna calm him down."

Sokka grabbed onto some rubble as the wind picked up even more fiercely. "Well, do it before he blows us off the mountain!" he called out.

"Yeah!" growled John. "Any time now would be great! Key word being now!"

---

"That's it," said Ryan at last. "I'm done. I can think of no more to do." He stretched again, but this time in contentment. Even without the air to breathe, even without any real space to work with, he had practiced, and he had come through. He'd set a goal, and he had met it. Now, the sub-par meal that was coming was no longer a punishment, but a reward.

He stripped off his shirt, lay back on his cot, and waited.

---

"Aang! I know you're upset! And I know how hard it is when you lose the people you love. I went through the same thing when I lost my mom. Monk Gyatso and the other Air Benders may be gone, but you still have a family. Sokka and I! We're your family now."

Wow, thought John as Aang slowly settled back to earth. That's actually kind of touching to hear, if you're there to hear it.

He watched as Sokka walked up to him and spoke quietly, but he didn't join them. They were their own group – and even if he was traveling with them, he wasn't with them. It was just convenient this way.

Just the same, he couldn't shake a slight bitterness at seeing them all together, while he stood off and alone. "Whatever. It's their story, not mine."

He waited, watching them as they stood up. As they walked forward, John said, "I'll go get Appa ready to go. We shouldn't have too much to pack, right?" Sokka nodded mutely, and John turned, walking down the beaten path to the next parapet, where Appa lay in wait.

"Now, let's see. Get the sleeping bags stowed, get the provision bags stowed – oh." Sitting in the saddle, there rested the Lemur. He looked at John with wide green eyes, and seemed almost ready to bolt. John froze immediately, watching, curious.

"Um…" he said. "There there. Nobody's going to hurt you." He started to creep forward, slowly, one hand stretched out, before the Lemur leapt onto his arm and crawled around to his shoulders.

John blinked. "That was easy enough," he said, scratching the Lemur's head. "Guess Sokka just doesn't have a way with animals or something." He walked up Appa's tail to the saddle and started. There, where there hadn't been any food before, there lay a pile of nuts and fruits, seemingly fresh.

"Okay, Lemur," he said to the furry thing on his shoulder. "You rock. Why don't you go get some for the others too?" The lemur seemed to understand him, and leapt off his shoulder, gliding to who knew where. John nodded in satisfaction, munching on some grapes as he set to work.

---

Kishi: Well, this is going to be an interesting dilemma. How do I follow the series without it being a pure transcription episode to episode?

:shrug:

Kishi: Let's just say that not every chapter is going to be like this one. I'm still working out how to do this. Still, special thanks to Acastus and the fine folks at Avatar Spirit for the work in transcription! I wish I'd discovered you guys a long time ago, would have made this a ton easier.

Avatar: the Last Airbender is copyrighted to Michael DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko. I don't own John, only myself. If anybody sees something they came up with first, all credit goes to you.

Contact info is in my user profile!


	5. Chapter 5

-1Kishi: Well, the sabbatical from writing is done now. Enough original stuff. It's time to go back to what I do best - stealing ideas from other people! Mwahahahahaha!

---

Kyoudai

Chapter 5

---

"Prison... life... _sucks_," Ryan groused. Day in, day out. Constant training. Stale bread. Staler water, if that were possible. And the pain of working his muscles to numbness could only entertain one for so long.

_Why in the world am I doing this?_ he asked. _These prison guards got it in their heads that I'm not meant to be going _anywhere. _God, if I could just get some fresh air, a chance to walk around - as it is, this is driving me nuts!_

The door swung open with a hollow click, and Ryan looked at the guard from his corner. The small loaf of bread and the small cup of water. Ah. Lovely. Still, he reflected with the door closing, it could be worse. They didn't have to feed him at all. It wasn't as if he was owed any sort of courtesy or defferential treatment. He knew that much.

That and he was losing his belly. He wasn't sure if that was the enforced dilligence of his training or if it was just the lack of food, but either way he couldn't complain about that. So, as the stale bread collapsed to dust in his mouth, he contemplated the next drill to add to his arsenal.

---

"You have no idea where you're going, do you?"

"Well," said Aang uncertainly, "I know it's near water..."

John looked over Appa's saddle to see the seas below. "Well, golly gee," he drawled. "We're dead on." They'd been traveling from the Southern Air Temple for the past few days. He had remained as taciturn as he ever was, but he always did his fair share of camp chores, choppng and hauling wood, helping to pitch the tent, learning how to build a fire. These hadn't been things natural to him, but Sokka had been a willing teacher. John figured it was so that way, he had less work to do himself, but that was fine. As long as they fed him, that was fine.

"Momo, marbles please." John turned from his musings to see the lemur returning out of Aang's shirt with one of the globes in hand. A grin grew on his face as he cupped them. "Hey Katara! Check out this Air Bending trick!" he called out.

He separated his hands, revealing the marble whirling in mid-air. Katara, however, was deeply involved in preparing a grievous wound in Sokka's pants, and didn't look up to see Aang's smiling face. She didn't even look up when John started clapping in his own nonplussed way.

"That's great, Aang," she said, her voice a million miles away.

"You didn't even look," said Aang.

She turned to look at him. John shook his head. "Yeah, son," he said quietly, "she shot you down. _Down_, man. Sucks for you."

"Stop bugging her, airhead. You need to give girls space when they do their sewing," said Sokka, gesturing from the back where he lounged.

"What does me being a girl have to do with sewing?"

"It's the order of things," said John with a grin. "Women sew, cook, and make babies. Guys do the cool stuff. You know. Fighting, killing, stuff like that."

"Well, when you put it that way, it doesn't sound bad at all!" said Katara, an exaggerated grin on her face. "And look how great I did on your pants, Sokka!"

She chucked the pair in question and scored a hit to the head. "Ack! Katara! Wait!" He looked at her through the big hole in the seat. "I can't wear these! Katara, _please!_"

"Don't worry!" Aang called out from the front. "Where we're going, you won't need any pants!" John looked over the side as they began their descent, and saw a crescent-shaped island looming ever closer. The entire thing seemed made of gray, snow-capped peaks. Still, as they got closer, he could see there were spaces for things to grow.

Appa settled to a landing, clouds of dust and snow billowing outward. The group slid down Appa's tail, and Aang began to peer at the bay with an undisguised eagerness. "I don't get it," said Sokka. "We just made a pit stop yesterday. Shouldn't we get a little more flying done before we camp out?"

"He's right," said Katara. "At this rate, we won't get to the North Pole until spring."

"But Appa's tired already, aren't you boy?" Appa gave no indication one way or the other. Aang nudged Appa with his elbow. "I _said_, aren't you boy?" As if on cue, the ten ton magical monster yawned.

"Yeah," Sokka drawled. "That was _real_ clever."

"Oh come on," said John. "Are you really going to argue with _that_? You'd never win."

Sokka turned to him. "I just think it's real convenient. Besides, thought we had a job to-"

"_Look!_" The group acted on Aang's command, looking out into the bay. A giant fish leapt before disappearing under the water.

"Dude," John said, staring. "That is the biggest friggin' goldfish I've seen. Ever."

"That's why we're here," said Aang, stripping down. "elephant koi. And I'm going to ride it. Katara, you've gotta watch me!" The boy ran, leapt, dove - and leapt again. "_Cold!"_ The rest of the group exchanged looks, and Sokka began twirling his finger next to his head. John turned and watched as the young boy swam out, and dived below. When he came back, he was riding the back of one of the elephant koi, holding on to the dorsal fin like a wind surfer. Katara laughed, waving at him from the shore. Aang gave a huge grin as other koi began following. There was a sudden dive.

Momo jumped up and down, watching for any sign. "He looks pretty good out there," said Katara.

"Are you kidding?" asked Sokka. "The fish is doing all the work!"

The snap of branches caused Katara to turn around. Appa had lumbered over to what looked like some fairly thorny hedges and seemed about to chow down. "No, Appa! Don't eat that!"

The koi cleared the surface, Aang looking happier than John had ever seen him. The boy favored the shore with a broad grin - which clouded over as soon as it was seen. "Wonder what's buggin' him?" John pondered aloud.

Two of the giant fish veered off and away from their trio, leaving Aang's koi alone - with the giant shadow that suddenly appeared. "What the hell!" John shouted. Momo began leaping, chittering in distress as one of the koi leapt only to be pulled back under.

"What's wrong?" asked Katara, running up to them from Appa.

"It's Aang," John said. "Something's up!"

"Get out of there!" she screamed at him. Aang looked back and grinned - and then his koi was pulled under. The boy pitched forward into the icy water just as a fin stood up out of the water. And up... and up... and _up._

"_Aaaaaah!_" Aang screeched. He leapt out of the water and then he was running, running on the very surface of the water!

"Dude!" John muttered. "Jesus must be having a heart-attack!" He watched as the boy drew ever closer, slamming into Sokka and sending them flying toward the tree line. He turned, saw the fin disappear.

"What was that thing?" asked Katara.

"I don't know," said Aang, standing up from the tangle of limbs.

"Well," said Sokka, standing up, "let's not stick around and find out. Time to hit the road."

John was about to make a snappy comment - a retort, an asininity, something, anything - but the next moments were full of green violence. There were cries of protest, and he felt strong hands push him over something... something conveniently placed to let him trip. He fell to the snowy ground and saw nothing but white as he was held down.

"Yeah," he muttered. "We goin' nowhere. Fuckin' nowhere." The group was blindfolded, made to stand, were bound with ropes, and forced to march along the path. John had no idea exactly where they were going - only that, contrary to his previous statement, they were going somewhere. And his feet were getting tired. Damn it all. However, the tranquil sounds of the snow-capped woods gave way to a strange murmur that picked up in volume. Voices resolved themselves out of the chaos. Yet as he drew closer, he could hear them hushing themselves, whispering. He could _feel_ them pointing at him. He was guided, then felt hands shoving him against something hard. He felt something tightening on his skinny frame - _rope, it's gotta be_ - and suddenly he couldn't move at all.

"You four have some explaining to do," came an elderly voice.

"And if you don't answer all our questions, we're throwing you back in the water with the Unagi," chimed a higher voice, and definitely younger.

"Show yourselves, cowards!" Sokka snarled. John's vision was suddenly flooded with light. He blinked, and as his sight returned to him he discerned five young women. All were dressed in green robes with a type of banded armor over the front. Their faces were painted white, with red highlighting the eyes. At their waists, they carried what John could only guess were fans.

"Who are you? Where are the men who ambushed us!"

One of the girls stepped forward. Her hair was red, marking her differently from her companions. "There were no men," she said, shaking her fist under his nose. "_We_ ambushed you. Now, who are you and what are you doing here?"

Sokka stared, and then broke out laughing. "Wait a second, there's no way that a bunch of girls took us down."

The girl stepped forward, grabbed Sokka by the collar. "A bunch of girls, huh? The Unagi's gonna eat well tonight."

"You dumbass!" John shouted from his post. "Just shut up! You're gonna get us killed!"

"I'm sorry about this guys," said Aang. It wasn't clear who he was apologizing to. "I wanted to ride the elephant koi."

"How do we know you're not Fire Nation spies?" the old man shouted. "Kyoshi stayed out of the war so far. And we intend to keep it that way!"

"This island is named for Kyoshi?" Aang asked, surprise written on his face. "I know Kyoshi!"

"Great!" said John. "Call her out here! We can talk about this, right?"

"Impossible!" the old man laughed. "Avatar Kyoshi was born here four hundred years ago. She's been dead for centuries."

"I know her because I'm the Avatar," Aang replied.

The old man and the warriors exchanged looks. Then the redhead stepped forward. "That's impossible! The last Avatar was an Air Bender who disappeared a hundred years ago."

"That's me!"

The old man shook his head in disgust. "Throw the imposter to the Unagi!" He turned and walked away. The warriors took their fans and took stances - some sort of dragon stance, from where John was standing.

"Aang," Katara whispered tersely, "do some Air Bending." There was a sudden rush of wind, and suddenly John's bonds were loose. He looked around, and finally saw Aang land, as if from a great height.

"It's true," the old man gawked. "You _are_ the Avatar!"

The whole village looked at them now in awe. The young boy reached into his shirt and pulled the marble. "Now, check _this_ out!"

---

Ryan wasn't quite sure why the guards had come for him. He was just glad for a change in scenery. Even if it meant nothing but pipes in his ceiling, he could be content with it. He was led, in chains, through corridor after twisted corridor. Probably to confuse him and not let him get a lay of the place, he figured. The one thing that stood out from the smells of steam and smoke, though, was the smell of food. After nothing but stale bread and staler water, the new input was more than welcome. He almost cried when they passed that wonderful place - _probably the galley_ - and walked through another doorway. This was definitely dining quarters - too nicely decorated for soldiery, though.

Then he saw the smiling old man, and it was confirmed. He was in Royal Quarters. What in the world?

"Ah, so good of you to join me!" said Iroh, gesturing to a seat across from him. "Won't you have a seat?"

Before Ryan could form any statement on the matter, his guards ushered him to his seat. His chains were exchanged for those placed in the seat, limiting his range of motion. "Guess I will," he said.

"I'm sure you're hungry," the old man beamed. "Please, have something to eat! The cook has an excellent recipe that I've been dying to try." As if on cue, the chef walked in, carrying two plates. Ryan saw fish, rice, and what looked to be some kind of seaweed. In addition, there was a bread of some kind; it came in buns rather than in loaves.

"It seems our chef has outdone himself," Iroh said. Ryan nodded slightly, staring with eyes that felt as wide as dinnerplates. He felt his lips moving in perfunctory grace - something about _thankyouthankyouthankyouGodIcan'tbelieveit'srealFOODthankyou_. He fought the urge to take the first bite only as a gesture of politeness. After Iroh did, though, he fumbled for his chopsticks and dug in hungrily. It didn't even occur to him that the food might be poisoned or drugged, such was his hunger.

Nothing was saved from him, and yet the meal was strangely filling. He found himself slowing down, taking smaller bites, pausing to chew. And it was a good meal, truly. Hunger really was the best seasoning.

"This meal," he finally managed to say, "is very good. I'm grateful, truly... but how is it that I merit it?"

"No need to be so formal!" the old man said with a grin. "I prefer plain speech. Though, truly, I was supposed to be eating with my nephew. But when he heard whereabouts of the Avatar, he left. I like having people to talk to, and I've already said something to everyone. You're the only one left."

"I see," Ryan said. "So this isn't going to be some kind of interrogation, is it?" That could be tricky. He'd seen every episode up to the end of the Water Book. If he broke, that would be all kinds of difficult for Aang and crew.

"Not really," said Iroh. "But you are most interesting to me. I must confess that, aside from your name, I don't know very much about you. For example, how did you know my name?"

_Think fast!_ "Well, sir," Ryan said slowly, "you're something of a legend where I'm from. I know this is going to be hard to understand, but I guess you could say I'm from a long time in the future."

"That's a bit of a tale, my young friend," said Iroh. "Why should I believe you?"

"Well, while I was knocked out, I'm pretty sure y'all managed to get a look at me and my clothes and all that. Honestly, have you ever seen anything like me before?"

"I will grant that you are... well, unusual. But it is a wide world, and I have not seen it all."

"I guess. And I could talk about Be Cing Xe, but everybody knows about that."

"It seems they do."

"Right. Huh." _Think _faster,_ man! There's got to be someth-- oh. Try this one._ "Well, what if I could tell you what exactly happened when you guys stopped in port?"

"That would be easy enough. You know we stopped for supplies."

"Would I know about the Agni Kai?"

"All the soldiers know of the Agni Kai."

"But do they know that you were the one who stopped Zhao at the last instant?"

Iroh's eyebrows lifted. "No. We didn't have any soldiers there."

"That's right," said Ryan. "Zhao came in to kick Zuko. You caught his foot and sent him flying. Shall I tell you what you said?"

"Why not?"

"You said, 'Even in exile, my nephew has more honor than you.'"

"That's not quite it," said Iroh, "but it's close enough."

There was a pause between them, and Ryan spent it on food. "So, my young friend - it was Ryan, yes?"

"Yeah."

"How is it that you came to our world?"

"I... honestly, I don't know. In the future, there are marvelous machines, and I've also been fascinated by their workings. I wanted to try my hand at making... something. Not a good idea, that."

"To make a thing without knowing what you're making? How odd," said Iroh thoughtfully.

"True," said Ryan with a half-grin. "But it's like you said. I'm an odd person."

Iroh laughed at that. "There's something else that I've been wondering about. The guards have been watching you in your cell."

"Have they now?"

"Yes. They've observed your movements. They say you're re-creating Fire Bending forms."

Ryan blinked. "Am I? Well... oh, but that shouldn't be a surprise. I study a... ah, descendant form of Fire Bending called Bei Shao Lin Quan."

The old man tested the name. "What a strange name. Why not just call it Fire Bending?"

"That's for someone else to answer, I guess."

"Intriguing," said Iroh. "I would see these forms for myself. Perhaps, after dinner?"

"Whenever," shrugged Ryan. "It's not as if I have much to do."

---

John remembered how this episode went. Aang would spend his time playing pimp for the next few days, Sokka would end up looking like a girl, and Katara would end up giving Aang props... or something. It'd been a while since he'd seen the re-run. Come to think of it, what the Hell _did_ these people do when they weren't on-screen doing something important?

Something unimportant, obviously. But what the Hell qualified for that? He had no idea, only that he was bored and he needed to do something. He was bored enough to even consider the idea of _training_. Real, honest training. Horse stance and everything. The Island even had the facilities for it and everything. Of course, _that_ place he knew about was for women only. Did they even _have_ a place for male warriors on an island this small?

Well, only one way to find out. With the sun still high in the sky, he walked up the path leading outside of town. On his way up, he saw Sokka staring at his hands, a hard look on his face.

"Hm? What's up?" asked John.

"What? Oh, nothing. It's nothing," said Sokka.

"You sure? You've got that look on your face like when I beat my brother up."

"Oh get real!" he scoffed. "It's not like _I _just got beat up by a bunch of girls or something. No big deal."

They locked eyes for a moment, Sokka's grin hard and challenging. "It was just one girl, wasn't it?" John asked.

He wilted. "Yeah, it was."

"Well, sucks for you. So what're you going to do about it now?"

"I don't know. I can't ask them to teach me, not with what I said to 'em."

"Hey wait... you hear that?"

"What?"

"That's the sound of the tiniest violin in the world."

Sokka looked at him funny. "I don't get it."

"Look, it doesn't matter one way or the other about what was said. If you go back, say you're sorry, and ask to learn, I can't see them having much choice in the matter."

"Maybe," said Sokka slowly. "I mean, really, what's the worst they can do to me?"

John chose not to answer that. Instead, he continued, finally finding the kwoon. The green-robed warriors were practicing some kind of form, and he was reminded of his own Taiji form. They didn't stop for his sake, so he quietly removed his shoes, stepped inside, bowed, and took a knee.

Suddenly, their auburn-haired leader saw him - _Suki, right_ - and they all stopped. "You're one of the Avatar's companions, aren't you?"

"Maaaybe," said John. "You're not going to beat me up like you did the other guy are you?"

"I don't know," she drawled. "You have any lessons for us?"

"No ma'am," he said humbly. "Actually, though, I was wondering if I could ask a favor?"

"Go on."

"Um... well, I know you guys are busy and all... and I don't want to be in the way, but do you happentohaveacornerwhereIcouldpracticemymartialarts?" _Damn but that was awkward_.

She looked at him. "Are you all right?"

"Why?"

"Because you're very red."

"I... uh... well, I'm not that good at talking to people. But anyway, I don't want to be in your way. I can just wait or something."

"It's all right," she said, a friendly smile on her face. "As long as you don't get in the way, you're welcome."

"Thanks," he said. He went off to a corner, ran through some basic stretches - honestly, Ryan would have been better for something like this - and then went in. _Ward off right, ward off left, ward off right, Parts the Wild Horse's mane_...

---

A day passed.

"Sokka, um..."

"Yeah, I know."

Another day passed.

"Sokka, are you still-?"

"Yeah. Drop it already."

And another.

"Sokka, you do know you're wearing--"

"_I know! Shut up!_"

---

"Break!" Ryan broke, standing up out of his stance. Sweat streamed down his face, beading in the tangle of his beard. The cold weather was fortunate for him - it made the day pleasant rather than unbearable. It couldn't stop the shaking in his legs, the stinging in his lungs, but he knew better than to try and control the uncontrollable.

"You spoke the truth," said Iroh. "You have had some years of experience. Your shoulders don't relax enough, but you seem to have at least a basic knowledge."

"Yes sir."

"Let me make a proposition to you," said the old general. "You know how the future events will unfold?"

"To a point. I didn't pay much attention in history."

"In any case, I assume you care enough for the order of things not to harm my nephew before he does what he's meant to do."

"Of course."

"In fact, his past road suggests that things will not get easier. He may not like it, but he needs all the help he can get."

"Yes, sir."

"So here is the arrangement - I will see to training you personally, alongside Zuko. In return, you will be a bodyguard."

"A bodyguard? Sir, does he really need something like that?"

"It is the custom of royalty in battle to have guards close by," the general said. "We have guards for him as it is, but no army to protect him. He is a good boy, but he needs all the help he can get."

"I see, sir." _Not to mention I'm probably the only one close to his age_, thought Ryan. _You're trying to secure a friend for your nephew. _He put hand to palm, and bowed. "It is an honor, sir. I will serve as you see fit."

---

"Fire Benders have landed on our shores! Girls, come quickly!"

"Hey! I'm not a... oh, whatever!"

John heard the old man's shout and dashed out with the others. He wasn't one of the warriors of this place, but the past few days had left a sort of mark in his mind. The thought of running out there to face the soldiers made his hands tingle and his knees knock, but the thought of doing nothing left a hollow feeling in his stomach.

He dashed down the path. He knew the plan, he'd seen this episode - wait for the Fire Nation to get to the village center, then jump 'em. Damned if he was going to go for Zuko, though. That was one _bad_ man. No way he'd survive that. But those mooks in the armor? Yeah. He could take 'em.

So quiet. The only sound was the crunching of the snow beneath his shoes. He passed behind one house, two, three - ah. Shouts. He dashed out into the street and looked around. Already flames were flying, and some of the soldiers were down on the ground. Good. Fighting mounted troops would've been hard as it was.

And there was his. Yeah. The big one with the armor. And the spear. He stepped toward the man and assumed stance - left foot forward, weight evenly distributed, hands up. _It's all in the flow. It's all in the flow..._

A flash of steel. John warded it off, but it was gone before he could do anything else. _Come on... come on..._. Again, the flick of movement. Again, the ward-off - but this time he grabbed the spear. Which was great, except he had no idea what to do now. The soldier, at first surprised, curled his grip more tightly on the haft.

A tug-of-war ensued between the two. John's muscles strained against those of the bigger man. The speartip twitched in his grip, seeking him. John dug his heels in and lowered his stance, his face grimaced in concentration. _Dammit. How am I going to get out of this?_ He took a deep breath and blew outward in concentration. Then, with a cry of surprise, the soldier let go of his end of the spear.

_What the--_ his hands pulled the spear to him. Odd, it felt cold - bah, of course it was cold.

"Okay, bitch. Time to meet your ma-" then a green robe flew down from the sky and knocked the soldier off his feet.

"Hey! What the fuck! He was mine!"

"Move faster next time!" she shouted back. She grinned fiercely before subsiding into a flow of green and gold.

John looked around for who was next, but it didn't seem necessary, as Appa came flying down. He ran without thinking, not wanting to be left behind, and clambered up the tail into the saddle. The others were already there.

"You all right?" asked Sokka.

"Peachy! You enjoyin' your dress?"

"Oh, shut _up_ already!"

---

Kishi: Wow. I wasn't sure I'd ever get this done. What in the world happened? Wow, funky. On the other hand, at least it's not a total copy of the script.

Avatar: the Last Airbender is copyrighted to Michael DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko. I don't own John, only myself. If anybody sees something they came up with first, all credit goes to you.

Contact info is in my user profile!


	6. Chapter 6

-1Kishi: Well, guess who's back? And with a new chapter to boot?

---

Kyoudai

Chapter 6

---

"There it is! The Earth Kingdom city of Omashu!"

_Sweet, merciful crap. It's a giant sand castle._ John made a personal point of not being overly impressed with anything he saw in this place. It would keep him sane. Sane was good. Sane helped him deal with climbing onto a ten ton flying creature that, by rights, shouldn't exist, as well as deal with the flying and the watering. And ish.

He and Sokka had grown very close to each other due to this. Well, not close in that way but...close enough. And as such, he refused to admit that the tall pyramids rising like mountains behind the walls impressed him.

"I always used to come here and visit my friend Bumi," Aang said.

"Wow," Katara said. "We don't have cities like this in the South Pole."

"Yeah, 'cuz all your buildings melt," John said.

"Exactly!" Sokka exclaimed. He didn't say much more – something about buildings that didn't melt seemed to have jarred something loose in his mind.

"Well, what're we waiting for? The real fun's inside!" Aang leapt up into the air.

"Wait, Aang!" Katara said as he landed farther downhill. "It could be dangerous if people know you're the Avatar."

"You need a disguise," Sokka said.

"So, what am I supposed to do? Grow a mustache?"

Moments and helping of shed fur later, John was thinking, _It might have been rhetorical_.

"Oh, this so itchy!" Aang groused. A great bunch of fur had been roped together and sat upon his head. Additionally, a smaller tuft had been placed beneath his nose for a mustache. He turned his gray gaze to Appa. "How do you live in this stuff?"

A sage grunt was his only reply.

The group walked toward the city, Aang playing his part ably with an elderly lean upon his staff. At one point it occurred to John that he might need a disguise, but so far nobody had really commented. He supposed that his garments probably weren't outlandish enough to arouse suspicion.

A shouted voice shook him from his musings. "Rotten cabbages! What kind of slum do you think this is?" a soldier shouted at the hapless cabbage merchant cowering before him.

"A nice one?" John asked. Sokka snorted, but Katara shot him a look. He shrugged it off. Suddenly, a lump of ground erupted beneath the man's cart, which was laden with cabbages. Up it flew, then down, down, over the edge of the cliff.

"_No!_ My cabbages!" the merchant shrieked, collapsing on the side of the road.

"Just keep smiling!" Aang said, a wide toothy grin on his face.

---

"And… _break!_"

With that, Ryan swept himself out of the low horse-stance and allowed his breathing to settle out. Breathe in, breathe out. He shifted his weight from side to side, waiting for the trembling in his legs to subside. Iroh had picked up on his lack of true combat conditioning, particularly in that his horse-stance was far too high. So he'd been pushing him through bout after bout of the Golden Bridge drill day after day. Before any kind of training could begin, Ryan would take up stance. He would sink until his legs were level with the deck before Iroh would lay a light metal pipe across his legs. That pipe was not supposed to move an inch, and if it did then it was a sign for Ryan to correct himself.

Bloody brilliant. And a bloody pain. Still, Ryan reflected, looking at the whirling, leaping form of the Prince, it would be worth it to be able to move like that. And if he were to play bodyguard, he'd have to fit the role.

There was one other distinct possibility, though, that drove him through this agony. Iroh had said that the forms and stylistic movements of Shaolin matched the patterns for Fire Bending techniques. And he knew that Aang's training had begun in much the same way.

And besides that, there was pride at stake. Simple as that.

Of course, it wouldn't be easy. The Prince had a few year's study on him, and Ryan had been far too casual. It'd be a labor of love to get this done, no joke.

Fine, then. He stretched his legs.

---

John had promised Aang that there was no way in _hell_ that he would allow himself on to the conveyer system. He had tried to keep it as vague as possible, asserting that it wasn't 'how he rolled.'

Aang had promised that there was no rolling involved. At that point, John had had no choice but to resort to blunter methods. Still, he hadn't sworn at the kid, and that was something to be proud of. In its own way.

This left him to wander the city streets, servant unto his own whims. Which would have been nice, except he was penniless, and without any kind of map or knowledge of the city, he was growing lost and bored rather quickly. Although it was a nice city. It was all stone and tiled roof, as well as small bonsai trees, from what he could tell. The place was fairly crowded, people walking about in the brisk weather. It didn't seem as though the war _could_ touch this place.

A crash sounded in the distance, followed by another. John remembered the fine and altogether valid reason he'd had for not climbing into that thing. And now he'd have to wait for it all to finish, so that way Aang could go and see the bloody Earth King and get the oh-so-original 'you need your friends to _triumph!_' speech. Ugh. It'd been a dumb cliched thing to do when he'd seen the episode, and it was no better now. And he'd have to live it.

Great. Just great.

Another crash sounded, closer to his location. John normally would not have cared if the group got caught, but he knew that free food was following. Besides, he was getting hungry.

He got there just in time to be arrested.

---

Meanwhile, in another world, in another time…

Elle was not pleased. The lovely young student had been looking furtively for her copy of the "The Imposter" by Avner Gold, when she remembered that she had lent her beloved autographed copy to a young man who she definitely was not looking forward to seeing.

"All right, walk in, take the book, and avoid unnecessary fraternizing with the enemy," she steeled herself, as she began the walk over. If she scheduled this properly, she would be back in time for her to make a Woman's studies lecture at the university.

Luckily, Elle still had the spare key that Ryan had given her for when he had to work late and needed the pets fed. She had debated giving it back, but Ryan's kittens deserved to be fed. That and she supposed she still enjoyed their verbal debates.

As befitted two young bachelors living together, the house was a complete and utter mess. Elle debated calling the Board of Health to report a health code violation, but decided to just get her book and call it a day. If Ryan and his brother wanted to live like pigs, who was she to nag them? All right, maybe she was a little worried.

Therefore, she couldn't resist the urge to snoop around. Elle had always been a curious young lady and she could not resist a sneak peak at the home, just to make sure they were safe. What she saw disgusted her. Newspapers not folded, dust everywhere, the mail piled up, it was as if the two rascals had gone on a road trip. Lazy good-for-nothing scoundrels.

As Elle walked into the garage, she was even more dismayed to find another of Ryan's half-brained inventions. What did this one do? Catch rabbits by their tails? Make juvenile noises? Hoping for a laugh, she pressed the button.

Unfortunately, it wasn't a laugh she got, but a whoosh and a scream as everything went dark.

---

Even with the cool moonlight to shine down on him, Ryan was absolutely sure that this heat _had_ to be some form of Fire Bending or other. Every muscle was straining and twitching. It had been precisely fourteen hours and thirty nine minutes. He'd counted every single one. And the training had been harshly rigorous. His old routine had been a workout to cover two hours, and consisted of stretches, kata, technical practice and more stretching. He didn't want to think about the numbers involved, because it would have disheartened him. He knew, however, that when he took tally tonight in his log, he would have some impressive numbers. Sifu would have been proud.

He sprang up from his stretches and took a deep breath, preparing to work on forms.

"Enough."

Ryan, startled from his routine, spun around to find Zuko. The young man was dressed in his night-robes, loose garments that were more concerned with function than aesthetics.

"Your Royal Highness," Ryan said. He bowed in the proper fashion, fist to palm. "To what do I owe this visit?"

"My uncle has informed me of his idea. I've come to inform you that it will not be necessary."

"You're saying you don't need another man to be loyal to you? Seems like something that would be useful."

"I have no reason to trust _you_," Zuko snarled. "You come flying out of nowhere, attempt to escape, and suddenly I'm supposed to trust you because of my _uncle_?"

"I can't imagine you do trust me," Ryan said, and he knew it was true. Why should Zuko trust him? "In which case, I don't imagine you'll lose much if you put me on the battlefield at your side."

"I will do no such thing. How do I know you wouldn't place a dagger between my ribs?"

"You don't." _That_ caught Zuko off his guard. "However," Ryan said, "if you think about it, I'm probably the most loyal guard you could ask for. I came from another world, which means I have no ties to this world to speak of. No politics. No plots. I simply am what I am, your Highness."

"But that doesn't establish you as trustworthy."

"Indeed. And honestly, that's something you're going to have to decide for yourself. But as it is, I have been ordered to guard your life. As such, I must train myself to be worthy of this post."

Zuko gave him a hard look, and Ryan met his gaze steadily.

"So be it," he said finally. "Train. But if I catch even a hint of suspicion, you will be imprisoned without question. Am I clear?"

"Yes, your Highness." Ryan averted his gaze and bowed.

---

John hadn't had much time to waste in the city. He had absolutely refused to go on the mail carriage system, but the chaos hadn't lasted very long. And there hadn't been anything to do in this place, with no money and no idea of where the hell anything was. He'd almost been overjoyed when the cabbage merchant had lost his wares.

They had been taken, under guard, to the highest pyramid, but the palace wasn't anything to be impressed with. It didn't have the sense of vast opulence to it that palaces were supposed to have. Then again, he reflected, that probably meant that more of the place was underground. Who knew how very large it was? It could have been the entire pyramid itself… well, no, probably not… structural integrity and that…

They were led through dimly lit halls, and were finally led before the grand throne. And Bumi wasn't exactly an imposing monarch. He was hunched over in green, gaudy robes, and the tassels of his grown added a certain rabbity air. He grunted at seeing them, and a certain cast entered his glance.

"Your Majesty," the guard said, "these juveniles were arrested for vandalism, traveling under false pretenses and malicious destruction of cabbages."

_Oh please. Like you guys are crusading for cabbage rights_, John thought.

"Off with their heads! One for every cabbage!" the merchant screeched.

"Silence! Only the King can pass down judgment. What is your judgment, Sire?"

Bumi cast his gaze across the group, and John fought not to roll his eyes. He was _hungry_, damnit!

"Throw them…" the man seemed unable to decide. "A feast!" The sense of surprise in the room was palpable. The people were stirred to activity, as liveried servants hastened to haul a table into the hall. John was just glad he wasn't being made busy. But soon the table was set, and the places as well, and al were seated. Bumi circled around, chuckling.

"Heh heh heh!" he chortled. "The people in my city have grown fat from too many feasts, so I hope you like your chicken with no skin."

"Thanks, but I don't eat meat," Aang said.

"How about you? I bet you like meat." Bumi shoved in Sokka's mouth, and he ate appreciatively.

Katara leaned over and muttered something in Aang's ear. John, however, was too busy stuffing his face. He knew what was coming, and that meant he had to eat now. And the food was… eh. It was all right. It'd fill him, and that was all he'd need.

"So, tell me young bald one. Where are you from?" the King asked.

"I'm from… Kangaroo Island."

"Oh, Kangaroo Island, eh? I hear that place is really hoppin'!"

_Oh God_, John groaned. _A punster worse than Ryan._

"Well, all these good jokes are making me tired. Guess it's time to hit the hay," the King said with a yawn. However, he suddenly flung a drumstick with a fast-draw that would have rocked the hell out of anything a Western could pull. Aang fell back in his chair in surprise, and his hands spun up, creating a cushion of air that stopped the drumstick in midair.

The King stood, and he had a smug grin on his lips. "There's an Air Bender in our presence, and not just any Air Bender. The Avatar!" The drop of the drumstick had all the authority of a gavel. "Now, what do you have to say for yourself, Mr. Pipinpadaloxicopolis?"

Aang stood, his arms moving in a gesture of surrender. "Okay! You caught me. I'm the Avatar, doing my Avatar thing, keeping the world safe. Everything checks out. No Fire Benders here. So, good work everybody." He put his arms around the two and started backing away. John started to move as well.

_Damnit! Why are we moving? Bumi couldn't see us if we didn't move!_

"Love each other, respect all life, and don't run with your spears. We'll see you next time!"

A sudden clang of blades stopped their advance to the reverse. The King's grin grew smugger, if possible.

"You can't keep us here. Let us leave!" Katara demanded.

"Lettuce leaf?"

_I'm killing that king, I swear to God I will!_

"Tomorrow, the Avatar will face three deadly challenges. But for now, the guards will show you to your chamber," the King said with an air of casual dismissal. As the guard conferred with the King, John rolled his eyes. Oh yes. This would be horrific. And with a cry of, "Take them to the refurbished chamber that was once bad!" it was done.

---

Ryan sighed, stretching himself out. It looked like it'd be another busy day. He wondered if there just might be some way to introduce some more variety into what he was doing.

"Soldier! At attention!" a voice shouted. Ryan immediately sprang to at the sound of Prince Zuko's voice. "Good. At ease!" Ryan relaxed. Zuko looked him over, and Ryan couldn't help but notice the strange bundle he had in his hand. "I'm assuming you're preparing for another day of training?"

"Yes, my Lord."

"I see. You've been working hard. So, it makes sense for you to work smarter too."

"As you say, sir."

"The first thing we'll have to do is change your clothes. They're a little outlandish for a soldier of the Fire Nation. Take these." He handed the bundle to Ryan, and to the young man's delight he discovered they were clothes. The Prince beckoned that he should follow, and they went below-decks, where Ryan was pointed into a room to change.

The garments were dull red and made of cotton. They consisted of a frog-style vest and a pair of pants. He didn't notice any sort of undergarments or shoes to go with it. But that was all right. He didn't like or need shoes anyway, and he could pick up undergarments later. He stepped back through the door into the metal corridor, the floors feeling decidedly colder on his feet.

"Good," Prince Zuko said with a curt nod. "Now follow." And follow Ryan did, through the red-lit steel. Despite the floors, it was actually comfortable to walk around here. Probably had something to do with the vents up above. But it was comfortable here.

Eventually the Prince led him into another room. This room had a bed with a Fire Nation banner hung above, a desk, a locker of some sort in the far corner. Twin dao hung upon the walls, and a stand of armor was propped up near to them.

"Part of your training," Zuko said, "is in learning to respect your armor. Good armor means the difference between life and death. If you take care of your armor, it takes care of you, saving you from an enemy sword. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir."

"Good. Now, you don't have a suit of armor, and you won't for some time. But I'm not interested in slowing you down. So, I will allow you to polish my armor instead."

Ryan blinked. _What? Wait a minute._ But the Prince was looking at him expectantly, so Ryan nodded.

"Yes sir!"

"And here are your rags." With that, Zuko presented him with… his old clothes. Ryan suddenly had a very sick feeling that he knew where this was going.

"I'm not to be supplied with rags?"

"Another lesson our soldiers learn is self-sufficiency. You can't always rely on the right tools for a task to be at hand. Sometimes you have to improvise."

"…I see."

"The polish, however, is next to the armor. You will be allowed however much time you need to accomplish this."

"Yes sir. Thank you, sir."

"One other thing, though," the Prince said. "My Uncle has made it aware to me what sort of training schedule you keep. Therefore I will also hold you to your scheduled physical drills. Is that clear?"

"Yes sir." With that said, Zuko nodded and left the room. With the door shut, Ryan was finally free to put a hand behind his head and scratch sheepishly.

"Well. Doesn't this beat all?" he asked. He breathed in, breathed out, and went over to see the situation. True enough, a bottle of polish was waiting next to the armor. But did he really have to use his clothes to do this? He'd be going home some time, eventually, and explaining this to his mother would have been… difficult.

That was when he noticed the bed again. The bed covered in sheets. Nice, clean sheets. They'd make great rags. Much better than what his shirt and jeans would. And easily replaced, for a Prince. All he had to do was walk over and-

-no. If he did that, the Prince would come down on him even harder, and sooner.

But who cared? The Prince wasn't real. None of this was real. Ryan was probably going to wake up at any time. Besides, the fanbrats always got away with this sort of crap in their fanfiction. Iroh would always come to the rescue, or else Zuko would spare the wrath out of some sort of crush that would blossom-

…

Better not to think of that. And besides, odds were really good that Iroh knew about this and probably endorsed it. That was one cagey old man, all right. As long as he was to be punished for his training, he might as well do it right. Meeting force with force never got anything done.

"The ocean is greater than all rivers," Ryan quoted to himself. "And it is so because it lies at the bottom." He nodded, took up his clothes and bottle, and set to work.

---

John had not had a more frustrating day in a very long time. Being roused far too early in the morning and having a rock candy ring shoved on his finger wasn't the start of a good day. And this king was a real pain in the ass, pushing Aang to think all creative-like. Had nobody told him? Creativity was for fags.

Here he was now, standing beside Sokka and Katara, watching the match unfold below. He had to admit, even being encased in a genemite column, the Bending Arts were incredible. The television could only capture so much. Here the wind roared and the ground quaked. Watching the gravity defying, high-flying maneuvers worked to bring the reality of it home.

He really was here. Here in a realm of huge air-faring beasts and crazy kings and epic battles upon which the fate of the world was at stake.

_Well, fuck it. So I'm here_, he thought. _I reserve the right to knock on all this crap_.

Down below, the fight wrapped up, Aang's staff at the King's throat and the boulders overhead.The King chuckled and said something, but they were too far away for John's hearing to catch. There was a sudden rumbling beneath them as the crazy king sprang up from a hole in the ground. A second later Aang flew up as well, staff windmilling above him.

"You've passed all my tests," the King said, with a grin. "Now you must answer one question."

"That's not fair!" Aang shouted. "You said you would release my friends if I finished your tests!"

"Oh, but what's the point of tests if you don't learn anything?"

"Oh come on!" Sokka said.

"Answer this one question and I will set your friends free." There was a pause. John was sure the man was playing it up for drama's sake. At last, he spoke: "What… is my name?" Aang stared at him, then, with a lost look. The King looked back at John and the others and remarked, "From the looks of your friends, I'd say you only have a few minutes." With that, he walked out the door.

"How am I supposed to know his name?" Aang asked.

"Think about the challenges," Katara said. "Maybe it's some kind of riddle."

"I got it!" Sokka shouted.

_Oh God, another pun. Brace yourself, John, here it comes._

"He's an Earth Bender, right? Rocky!"

There was a long pause, punctuated by a grieving sigh from John. "Look, Aang," he said. "This isn't hard. What were the challenges?"

"I had to get the key from the waterfall," Aang said, rubbing his chin. "I had to find his pet, and I had a duel."

"And?" Katara asked.

"Well, they weren't straightforward. To solve each test, I had to think differently than I normally would." Suddenly a comprehending look came to his face. "I know his name!"

"Great!" John said. "Now _move!_" A piece of crystal grew over his eyes.

---

Ryan had been pleasantly surprised when he had not been asked to polish armor. The Prince forcing these chores on him, on top of the training, was leaving him tired. He'd been glad for six to seven hours of sleep, but now he was running on five to six. For a college student, that was fairly normal… but why should he have to settle for that? He loved exceptional amounts of sleep.

And now, here in the evening, with his early start and everything, it'd be a relatively early dinner and an early sleep.

Or so he thought.

"Ryan! At attention!" Ryan sprang out of the Crane form and stood, grimacing inwardly. _Zuko_. The man didn't even warrant a title anymore in Ryan's mind. All this work just to try catching up with a common soldier, and _then_ chores? What in the world? Ryan prided himself on being able to keep a positive attitude, but this was really looking futile.

"You've been working hard today again?"

"Yes my Lord."

"Good. I have a new lesson for you. Follow me."

_Joy_. Ryan followed Zuko not below-decks this time, but up into the command tower. Ryan recognized this route. _The dining room? Oh God. Is this a poisoning session? Oh great gads, it is, it's gotta be._

When they stepped into the dining room, though, he found the table to be clean of food, and Iroh to be leaning back in his chair, a contented expression on his face.

"Part of the training you must undergo includes a detailed knowledge of pressure points and how they affect the muscles," Zuko said. "You're good with strikes and kicks. However, knowledge of these points allows you to bring your enemy down with less work."

"Yes, my Lord." Ryan's mind was already working, and he could see where it was going. Suddenly the poisoning didn't sound too bad.

"So, to help you practice, Uncle Iroh has consented to allow you to massage his feet."

This was not happening.

"I… I see," Ryan managed.

"Are you questioning your Prince?"

"No my Lord! I live to serve."

"You serve to live. Remember that. I will leave you to your training."

Ryan knelt at Iroh's feet as the Prince turned and walked out. Well. Life had officially sunk to a new low. The feet were just… _there_, and they were bare, and he swore to God that something just might be alive here. Well, no, that was absurd. Iroh was nobility. He probably knew all about staying clean. The feet definitely didn't have anything alive on them, not from what he could see.

"I must confess, sir," Ryan said slowly, "that I have no idea how this works."

"Well, that's exactly why you need to learn," Iroh said with a grin. "The feet have points for forty different parts of the body. Learning how to affect each one at different points is a key part of your training."

"Mhm."

Under Iroh's instruction, Ryan was soon moving his hands along the old man's feet. Of course, he wasn't instructed on all of the points – that would have been too much. Instead, Ryan was to learn the first five, and would return for the next week or so to learn more.

Ryan, however, knew how to read between the lines. It was a week's worth of free foot massage, and the old man knew it. Clever, him.

"My nephew tells me you have been working hard."

"Your nephew must have also said how little he approves," Ryan said, a grin etching into his features with just a trace of bitterness.

"He did," Iroh said with a shrug. "But he has been impressed nonetheless."

Had anybody but Iroh said it, Ryan would have been quick to correct him. Now, though, he was just surprised.

"I've impressed him?" he asked.

"Indeed. He says you remind him of himself, when he was young."

_Even though I'm older than him and everything. It's touching. Really. _"That's very flattering. I still don't think he approves, though."

"Your training is no different than if you had chosen this job yourself," Iroh said consolingly. "We simply have to make accommodation for it while we can. Besides, you wouldn't begrudge an old man his foot massage, would you? Not when they ache, and grow so stiff-"

"Yes sir, yes sir." Stiff, right. This man's feet were soft and flexible. Well-cared for, if the old theories were correct.

"Now, explain the points to me," Iroh prompted.

"Toes for head and sinuses," Ryan said, "Big toe for the temporal area, blood pressure, and the neck."

"Very good," Iroh said. Ryan sighed as his hands continued to work. Oh well. It could be worse, couldn't it?

---

The first thing Elle thought when she woke up was how much money she planned to sue Ryan for. The words negligence and emotional damage seemed to be first and foremost on her mind.

That was until she saw something more important. Three really big guys in red armor, pointing huge swords at her. Swords? Had she wandered into a Society for Creative Anachronism party? "Master of the World," she swore in Hebrew.

"Surrender, girl. Your plot has been foiled," one of the red-clad guards snapped, pointing that huge sword a few inches from Elle's nose.

"I don't think she speaks our language," another said. "Look at those foreign clothing. Search her!"

Elle gulped, and didn't struggle as hands began patting down her body. She tried to resist moving and hoped they'd just mug her and leave. Her metro card, wallet, cell phone, books and money were scattered on the floor. Yet none of them pocketed any of it, merely staring at her expensive belongings as if she had been carrying marijuana. Of course, that was nothing compared to realizing that the sword was not blunted. Wasn't that against the rules? Well, criminals didn't usually follow rules. She tried to speak but the only thing that came out of her mouth was the prayer before death in Hebrew.

"She really doesn't speak our language. Can…you…understand…me?" one guard queried, glaring down at her. Elle was too frightened to even try to respond. Her tongue was frozen to the roof of her mouth. She was going to die, she was going to die young and alone and unmarried and her parents would never find her body and she'd never…

"What is going on here?" a strangely familiar voice asked, breaking through the tension like an ax. Every head bowed as soft footsteps approached, reminding Elle of the need to breathe. That was before she looked up and saw someone who shouldn't exist. Tiny, with a high bun and two side-locks, amber eyes and a killer smirk…a fictional character named Princess Azula…which meant…no, this couldn't be happening. This was some horrible dream and when she awoke, she'd be late for class.

"We found her lying in the garden, Princess. She speaks a different language and doesn't seem to understand us. Should we take her below for questioning?" the talkative guard said.

Elle was still trying to wrap her mind around the fact that she was in a world that didn't exist. That and her impending death, which was chipping away at her nerve and sanity.

"I'd like to examine her myself," the formerly fictional but now real and deadly princess said. "Just to be sure." Elle's mind was completely blank. She wanted her parents, she wanted her elder brothers, she wanted concrete logical answers to the million questions in her head. She was quite sure she'd last all of three seconds under torture.

"Light hair and skin," Azula noticed, running a disturbingly sharp fingernail lightly over Elle's skin. There was something very chilling about Azula's touch. A finger under Elle's chin forced her to raise her eyes. "Water tribe eyes, which definitely doesn't match her skin tone," the princess continued to note. Elle was just taken aback by those amber eyes. She had never seen such power, such command, such inspirational fervor in those eyes. These were the eyes of a Messiah, of a God. "Soft hands and rather weak arms, she's not trained in any form of combat. She's not much of a threat. She'd have to be insane to walk in here."

"She just appeared, your highness. We blinked and suddenly, she was lying on the ground," the guard explained. Elle was just happy to have survived examination.

"Have you a name, girl?" the princess asked. It was impossible to resist her voice. Elle felt like she'd walk into a fire if she was told to.

"She doesn't understand us, your highness," the guard said, sweating visibly as he gestured to the trembling girl below.

"Oh, she does. She understands every word we say. She's just too frightened to talk. But I asked a question and I will be answered," Azula hissed, a dangerous energy crackling around her.

"Elle," Elle whispered, bowing her head. "Your humble servant is Elle, your highness." She was reverting back to the most regal language she could muster. Make nice to the scary Dark Messiah.

"That's a name I haven't heard before. From which nation do you come?" Azula asked, her voice as smooth as honey. "You don't seem to fit the mold of any."

"None. I'm…" Elle began, pondering how best to explain to someone that they are a fictional television program character. The best answer would be…not to. "Your humble servant is from the Spirit World," she said, saying the first thing that came to her mind. She hoped that worked.

"The Spirit world?" Azula asked, one delicately beautiful eyebrow raised. "I find that hard to believe."

Elle was very glad she had taken college classes in drama and improvisation. "Your humble servant was granted some knowledge of the past and future. If allowed…" she trailed off, trying to wrack her brains. Azula nodded grandly, obviously amused. "I have had a vision of your past…the day you found out your cousin died… 'A real general would stay and burn Ba Sing Se to the ground, not lose the battle and come home crying.' You said it to your brother, Zuko." Elle prayed her memory served her well.

Azula's eyes widened a bit. "Well, I see we have a talent. Well, what kind of host am I? Welcome to my palace, Elle. I do hope you will join me for tea," she said, offering a slim hand to help Elle up.

Elle shakily took the clawed hand, debating if this was a wise action. Waves of sadness were still running over her. She was in a fictional world which wasn't Narnia and she was the "honored guest" of a psychopath. She might never see her family again and she was not sure how she would survive. Besides that, things were peachy.

"It would be an honor," she whispered.

"I trust your abilities have told you my identity?" Azula enquired as she motioned Elle to follow her. The dimensional traveler was aware she should take note of her surroundings, but she was more interested in keeping Azula non-bloodthirsty. Looking around would look suspicious.

"Princess Azula, daughter of Fire Lord Ozai and Ursa, heir to the Fire Nation throne," Elle murmured obediently.

"Correct. But enough about me, I want to know more about you. You were born in the Spirit World?" Azula purred, like a lioness playing with a mouse.

"Yes, your highness," Elle said, bowing her head as she followed along. Walk three steps behind, it's polite.

"Have you…family?" Azula continued, her tone like a rope around Elle's neck, tightening.

"If it pleases your highness, a mother, a father, two elder brothers and their wives, one nephew," Elle recited quietly.

"All left behind?" Azula asked sadistically. Elle nodded, missing them more than she should. "How unfortunate. I've lost family members myself. Tragic, really," she said, not sounding traumatized at all. "So, what work did you before you arrived at my world? Surely, a spirit must have duties."

Elle smiled shakily. "I was an assistant to a sage, as well as a student, your highness. I am a kind of bard or priestess, a teller of tales and stories," she said, deciding to drop the title rabbi.

"How very…fascinating. And why are you here?" Azula asked, opening a door to the most beautiful and luxurious room Elle had ever seen. It made the Metropolitan Museum of Art look boring. "Make yourself comfortable. We have much to discuss," she said, waving her hand around with careless elegance.

Elle wisely waited till Azula had chosen a seat on the lush pillows before sitting opposite her. "I do not know why I am here, only that my destiny and gifts have something to do with Sozin's comet," she explained, knowing that would be the end of the show. Meaning…what. "I can see some past and future events, but my gifts will fade soon." Was that dumb? Had she lessened her life's worth?

Azula's eyes narrowed predatorily. "You do have talent at the moment. That prediction you made… no one else was there. Can you tell me another thing I said?" she asked.

"The night your mother disappeared, you asked Zuko if a nice Earth kingdom family could adopt him?" Elle mumbled, wishing for some food and Advil, not in that order.

Azula laughed cruelly and nodded. "Well, I have myself a seer. I must say, I am impressed," she exclaimed.

"Thank you, your highness," Elle whispered, wanting to go home as quickly and as painlessly as possible.

"You are all alone, right?" Elle nodded, wondering how Azula made a verbal stab seem so caring. "No friends, no family, no one. You might never see the spirit world again."

"Your humble servant is quite…sad," Elle said, forcing herself to lower her eyes and not show fear.

Now, you obviously are helpless...but you have some talents. Talents, I can make use of. What do you say to becoming my handmaiden? I could use someone to do my writing, have a few visions, serve my purposes," Azula purred, much like a lion over her meal.

"I…don't know what to say

"In exchange, you will have my personal protection, a place to stay, food to eat and a chance to assist the Fire Nation in its hour of glory. You will be protected and well cared for. I lost my mother, my brother, my uncle and my cousin. I know what it's like to lose the ones you love and to feel alone. I can help. Of course, the choice is yours," Azula said, lazily leaning back on cushions.

Elle could hear the implicit death threat on refusal. She smiled and bowed her head. "I see no way I could refuse," she said.

Azula smiled. "Smart. Very smart." She then clapped her hands. "Of course, I shall have to have you disguised as a handmaiden, dressed properly. You and I are going to be good friends…my dear Elle. Very good ones," she purred.

Elle gulped. "I live to serve," she whispered, bowing in thanks.

"Yes, you do."

---

Kishi: Curiouser and curiouser. Another author drawn to the Avatar world. Gads, I've created a monster!

That's right, everybody. The lovely and talented Lady Hotspur had deigned to grace us with her presence in this fic. Yes, finally, we will have conflict. _Real_ conflict, not this stupid brother stuff. Say hi everyone!

::everyone waves… you know you are::

Avatar: the Last Airbender is copyrighted to Michael DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko. I don't own John or Elle, only myself.

Special thanks to the fine folk over at Avatar Spirit for their transcription work, without which this undertaking would be infinitely more painful. Thank you so much!


	7. Chapter 7

Kishi: Well, to cap, we have three 'real' people in the Avatar universe now. Mwahahahahahaha!

---

Kyoudai

Chapter 7

---

When John didn't have something to do, he grew bored. And when he grew hungry, he grew sardonic. Sadly, now, as the day was beginning to wind down and he found himself absent of food and things to do, these two things were growing prodigiously. Which was a shame. The woods where they had landed were nice, shafts of sunlight shining down through the green canopy above. It would have been nice.

His stomach growled, and if it kept on growling he wouldn't be too far behind.

"So what's for dinner?" he heard Aang ask. He looked over and saw Sokka come into their little clearing, a pouch in his hand.

"Nuts," John growled. "Lots of nuts. That's not going to feed us, you tard."

"What? But, how did you?" Sokka looked confused.

"Oh come on. Like you're going to have a steak or something in that bag." _Although_, he thought, _a steak wouldn't be too bad around now_.

"Seriously," Katara said. "What else ya got?" John leaned forward to try and see into the bag. He couldn't remember this question ever being resolved on the show. Still, though, aside from berries, what else could there be? However, John's ruminations were soon disrupted by a large _boom_. Everyone immediately started looking everywhere, trying to find the source of the noise.

"What was that?" Sokka gasped. All was still – until the next one came, and even Momo looked surprised.

"It's coming from over there!" Aang said, pointing in the general direction of the noise. Aang rushed off, and Katara followed him.

"Shouldn't we be running away from huge booms? Not towards them?" Sokka shouted, waving his arms.

"I'm with you," John said darkly, but at least it was something to do. The two of them ran after the others, and caught up to them staring over a log at something. John crouched down and crawled up behind them, staring down into a dried-up riverbed. Down in there he could see a young man of comparable age to himself practicing his Earth Bending forms. John was able to see that the Bender's stances were low and wide, and his hand motions seemed tense, as though he were lifting and carrying great weights. To hear the sound of it, it was understandable.

"An Earth Bender!" Katara said in awe.

"Let's go meet him!" Aang said.

"He looks dangerous," Sokka noted. "We should approach cautiously."

"Uh, you guys…"

"Yeah John? What is it?"

"Hello there! I'm Katara!" the young lady said as John pointed at her. "What's your name?" The young man stared at her, a shocked expression on his face before he abruptly turned around and ran down the riverbed. As John ran down into the sand, the youth leapt, and suddenly the surrounding banks collapsed downward, cutting off pursuit.

"What a prick," John mused. "We just wanted to say hi." He turned and looked at Momo. "Man, this is your fault." The lemur quirked his head quizzically.

"Hey, that guy's gotta be running somewhere," Aang pondered aloud. "Maybe we're near a village… and I bet that village has a market!"

"Which means no nuts for dinner!" Katara said. She and Aang ran off down the bed.

John turned to Sokka and shrugged. "When they put it that way, how're we going to refuse?"

"But I worked hard for those nuts!" Sokka exclaimed. Momo flew past the two of them and he sighed. "Yeah, I hate 'em too."

---

Ryan had never understood the exuberance of shore-leave. That was before getting stuck on a ship for a few weeks. Now he couldn't wait to be gone. The embarkation ramp was down, he'd just shaved, and even if he didn't have any kind of money that wouldn't prevent him from enjoying an actual _piece_ of this world. He could feel the force of pure _dork_ rising from his center, but he didn't care. He just wanted out.

He ran for the ramp, preparing to make a grand and altogether dramatic jump, when-

"Ryan!"

_DAMN IT!_ Ryan froze immediately at the sound of Prince Zuko's voice.

"Where are you going?" the Prince demanded.

"Sir. Shore leave was announced, so I was go-"

"Are you a soldier under me?"

"I'm sorry sir?"

"You heard me," Zuko asked, coming around to his field of vision. His expression was calm, as though the answer couldn't hardly make any difference in the world.

"Yes, sir, I am-"

"No, you're not," Zuko said. He wasn't shouting, but his expression was so very hard. "You are my bodyguard. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir."

"And did I give the order for bodyguards to leave?"

"No, sir." Ryan felt his frustration mounting, but he held it in check. He knew his place, even if it left his mouth tasting like ashes.

"Good!" Zuko said, and his lips turned upwards. It wasn't a grin, but… it did approve. "Now, with me. I have more training for you."

Ryan bit back his sigh as he was led up into the main structure. But instead of the dining room, his steps were tracing a path toward the ship's galley. Well, this would be a change of pace at least. A week's worth of massaging had left him washing his hands on a more-than-regular basis and a working knowledge of pressure-points. What could the galley teach him?

_Ah. _This _must be the poisoning lesson. All right, Ryan, brace yourself_.

"For all your training," Zuko said, "you've never had a weapon. So today, your training will start."

"Yes, sir." Zuko led Ryan over to a pair of large metal bins. One was empty. The other was filled with potatoes, all unskinned. A knife, however, was sticking out of one of the potatoes.

"I will have you start off with the smaller weapon," Zuko said, "because I want you to surprise people. No offense, but you don't look anything like a bodyguard. A knife in the back is the last thing they'll expect. Do I make this clear?"

"Yes, sir."

"Your job will be to skin all these potatoes. Once done, you will be allowed to continue training with the soldiers. Just try to get a feel for the weapon for now."

"Yes sir," Ryan said, watching as Zuko turned and walked away. He walked over and tugged the knife from its resting place. It was simple, small and wooden. The blade was smooth, no serration like the knives he was used to back home.

_This sucks_, he thought as he sat down and grabbed a potato. With every cut, the thought reverberated through his mind, striving for mantra status.

So he forced himself to say, "I will persist until I succeed. Each effort like the axe-stroke that brings down the oak… I will persist until I succeed…"

---

"Hey!" John looked over to see Katara shouting at the young man. He entered into a shop, that could have been indistinguishable from any other.

"Awfully stuck on this guy, isn't she?" John asked Sokka. Sokka frowned.

"Yes," he muttered. "Yes she is." He stalked forward to follow, Aang and John drifting along behind. They arrived at the door just as Katara burst in.

"Hey!" she said again. "You're that kid! Why did you run away before?"

"You must have me confused with some other kid," he said with an uncertain look.

"No she doesn't," said Aang. "We saw you Earth Bending."

"They saw you doing _what?_" the elder woman asked.

"They're crazy, mom! I mean, look at how they're dressed!"

_Well, fuck you too_, John thought. He had the sense, though, to not say a word. He knew what had to be.

"You know how dangerous that is! You what would happen if they caught you Earth Bending!" Further commentary, however, was stalled by a fierce knocking on the door, and a cry of "Open up!"

"Fire Nation!" Sokka gasped. "Act natural!" Everyone struck up poses, and John quickly spun to do the first thing that came to his mind: inspecting a spot on the wall.

"What do you want? I've already paid you this week," the elder woman said.

"The tax just doubled," a harder voice answered. "Wouldn't want an accident, would we? Fire is sometimes so hard to control." John didn't turn to face them, but stood still instead. His spot was a rather interesting one, occupied by absolutely nothing. He heard the clink of coins and the derisive sneer of "You can keep the copper ones."

He felt the footsteps on the floor as the soldiers left.

The rest of the conversation happened as it had in the show. John didn't care enough to interject.

---

Elle remembered a quote of Charles Dickens. "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times." Sure, it was the worst of times in the fact that she was trapped as the prisoner of a homicidal tyrant in a fictional world with no hope of getting back and would probably lose her scholarship and position on the Dean's List, besides her presidency of the local religious organization, her triple major, her volunteering position…her life!

But of course, thoughts of that had faded after that luxurious scented bath. Then she had been wrapped in a long silken robe and pantaloons of deep crimson and gold. Her long brown hair had been styled into two buns, tied with elegant ribbons of a matching metallic yellow. Aside from the unhealthy lack of underwear and a comfortable bra (who ever invented chest wraps should be strangled with his own intestines), she was in seventh heaven. She wiggled her toes in the silk slippers. She could get used to this.

"Enjoying yourself, Elle?" a voice said. Elle turned around, the deceptively deadly voice catching her heart in mid-beat.

Elle bowed deeply. "Peace be upon my master and future queen," she said, glad she had done a paper on royal protocol in the biblical era.

"Oh, come now. I said call me Azula. We are friends, aren't we? Well, you look like a handmaiden now. I took your old clothing for further study…" she said, holding up a very intimate piece of apparel. "What is this?" she asked, staring at the garment that Elle really could use.

"It's…called a bra. It is…worn around the…bosom," Elle said, debating how best to explain it.

"Hmmm…demonstrate how it is worn," Azula said, her eyes narrowing with interest.

"Well…I'd have to disrobe…and well…" Elle blushed. She had no problem bathing in front of other women, but it was a different matter before royalty.

"So?" Azula was looking bored and predatorily angry. "I gave an order…my friend."

-

"Wow, no bouncing!" Azula was saying, after insisting on trying the "braw" on after Elle. "This is wonderful. I shall have to have some made for me. So comfortable and supportive!" she said, practicing a few martial arts move. "Nothing moved."

Elle smiled, glad to have pleased her new mistress. "Oh, believe me, you will thank me for it in a few years. No sagging," she said, wondering when she was getting her under-clothing back. Seeing the look on Azula's face, she figured never.

"One more question about your clothing…what is this?" Azula asked, holding up another precious piece of clothing.

"My lady friend, allow me to introduce you to…the thong," Elle said, deciding she could blush with shame later. She had just invented lingerie!

---

John figured that by now, late in the day, Katara and Haru were probably off causing all the mischief that would interfere with his efforts at laziness later. However, being a believer in preparation, he remembered that he would need a hat. And sure, he could wait for the others to pay for his hat… but where was the fun of it, then?

Somehow, just enough of his brother had rubbed off on him that he knew it – if John were to sacrifice laziness now, it would translate to laziness later. It made perfect sense. Ish.

So now he was walking through the dusty streets of the village. He knew he'd seen Aang bartering nuts for a hat somewhere down the street from here. Except that the shops were all starting to close as the evening drew closer, and stalls all pretty much looked the same when they had no wares to display.

_Great_. He continued to walk the street that, he was at least pretty sure, had the hat store. As he looked, it occurred to him in the back of his mind that he had nothing to barter with. Which didn't bother him that much – Ryan would have been better for that sort of two-faced crap anyway – except to make the liberation of such a hat a mite trickier. Bah. Whatever.

A flash of red caught his eye and, fearing Fire soldiers, he spun. But no, it was just another awning going down on a stone building. It shouldn't have stuck out in any other way, but suddenly it burned in his mind as clearly as a screen shot. That was it! It was right near the village mayor's building. Except the shop was definitely closing, and the man had a tired and weary look about him that suggested a disdain for further business.

"So the old bum's not selling," John muttered. "Well, since I have no money, that shouldn't be a problem." He grinned and moved to an alley and waited. Soon enough, the old man passed by. John edged toward the corner, keeping a wary ear out, but the steps kept fading. He allowed himself to peak around the corner, just like in all those stealth games, and saw the man on his way.

He dashed across the empty street. _There's gotta be a back door… there's always a back door… there's gotta be a back door… oh shit, oh shit, am I really doing this?_ He got around to the other side and lo and behold: there was a back door.

Which was great – unless it was thick. Or barred. Well, only one way to find out. John took a few steps back… now, how had the upper belts done this kick? Step, leap, kick? Step, step, kick? John assumed High Mantis and shifted his feet. _Left foot in front of right, step, jump-_

He kicked into the door, which promptly flew open. Any joy John might have felt crashed with him to the floor as he lost his balance.

"Maybe that wasn't such a good idea," John growled as he stood from his sprawl. But at least he'd made it. Straw hats abounded here stacked on shelves. Any one would do. He grabbed one, then two more for the others, and allowed himself a moment of praise. _Huh. That really wasn't as bad as I was expecting_.

This was a short moment.

As he stepped back out into the twilight he heard someone shout, "Stop! Thief!" John turned – _there_ were the Fire Nation soldiers, bearing down on him. And they had spears. They _always_ had spears.

_DAMMIT!_ John tore off running, hearing the metallic tromping of the boots following him. He remembered this part of the games too – this was the part where he hid in a locker or on a rooftop until the soldiers lost interest. Except that this place didn't have lockers. And there were no ladders. And he didn't have a grappling hook like in Tenchu.

Suddenly this really sucked. Strawberry-blond hair wouldn't help him blend with groups of people, and the town was small enough anyway that he'd have a hard time blending. Maybe if there was a hilltop or something he could get over to find some convenient trees. Or maybe a box. Yes, a box. A box would be fucking great right now.

He looked back. Three soldiers. Typical get-up. For the fucking lose indeed. He turned a corner, then turned right at the next. Maybe if he could just lose them in the alleys… though, with a town this size, were there going to be many alleys to lose them in?

"Stop! Thief!" Eyes turned his way and John inwardly shook his head. Those stupid games really hadn't gotten the details right at all.

A door opened ahead of him, and a head stuck out. It was bearded, and the eyes had a squint to them. He beckoned to John immediately, and John didn't think twice about getting in there. As soon as he dashed in, the door shut behind him.

"Quick! Get down!" John knelt below the window as the old man looked out. Between his gasping and his heartbeat, he wasn't sure how he managed to hear the soldiers pass by. But the tromping of their feet passed out of his hearing, and the old man nodded. "Good. You aren't in the clear yet, but you'll be fine for now."

"Why'd you help me?" John asked between breaths. He eyed the man critically, who seemed to be nothing more than a typical Earth Kingdom citizen. John would probably forget about him, if it'd just been on the show.

"It's very simple," the old man said. "I don't like the Fire Nation. I like to do things the Fire Nation doesn't like. You and I seem to have that much in common."

"Yeah," John said. "Thanks."

"I won't ask you much," the old man said. "The less I have to lie about, the better. Just lay low here, until they pass."

John nodded and leaned back against the wall.

---

"_Next, to receive her degrees in Honors Urban Sociology, Honors Social Services, and Honors Interdisciplinary Studies…" a hushed murmur of appreciation rippling through the crowd… "graduating Magna Cum Laude, and as a member of the Dean's List: Elle Miku!" A thunderous roar of applause swept over her as Elle stood to accept her awards. At last. After years of blood, sweat and tears, she was so close. Now everyone knew how great she was. Just one last walk… a few more steps… she was at the base of the podium… up on the stage, and the hand was waiting to pull her into the professional world-_

And a pain in her side shocked her awake. Back into a world of steam and noise.

"Elle? Are you all right?" Azula's voice whispered in her ear.

"Yes, Azula. I'm sorry, I just… I guess I got a little tired."

"I understand. These aren't exactly joyful times for me either. Still, it is useful for this mechanist to have his moment in the sun." Elle could only shake her head. Azula as presented in the show was smart, and ruthless, and proud, but they'd never quite captured exactly how expert her Lady was. The closest Elle had ever come to seeing Azula build others was the Fall of Be Cing Xe. But here instead, she was applying the principle to her own people. No wonder they'd fought the war for so long!

And what a moment it was. Elle had been explaining production methods to Azula, who had wanted to see the bra more easily established as a staple of Fire Nation fashion. Elle casually mentioned that in the Spirit World there were ways to make many things at a given time. Azula had pressed her for details, and as soon as Elle was done talking she had sent for the Royal Engineers. Elle had described to them a method by which a line of production could be established to churn out goods at a much higher rate.

And now here they were in one of the great foundries, standing above the new 'Assembly Line.' The inside of the place was humid, and dim except for the red lights cast below. The whir of the belt as it moved, though, carrying parts, was truly impressive.

"This is absolutely amazing!" the engineer gushed, eyes shining behind a singed and sooty beard. "Just crafting the engines for the ships used to take weeks! Once we have this system perfected, we could have ten a day!"

"Wonderful," Azula said, a pleased smile on her lips. "You have done very well. I will look to your results with much interest."

"Yes, your highness! Now, if you'll please pardon me…" With a flick of her fingers, she sent him into the roaring deeps. It seemed he couldn't bear to be anywhere else.

"Elle, I must say, I am truly impressed. This invention solves several different problems at once. You've killed three birds with one stone – production, employment, and economy."

"I aim to please, my Lady."

"You've done more than that," Azula said, putting a hand to Elle's shoulder. "I'm very proud of you. You have done a great service to the Fire Nation – to the whole world with your inventions."

Elle blushed at the onslaught of praise. "I strive to be worthy of such praise," she managed at last. Azula gave her a firm nod and released her shoulder, going back to stare at the machine. Elle walked over and joined her in staring over the guard rail at the smooth motion and constant movement down below.

"Do you believe in fate?" Azula asked. Elle blinked in surprise.

"I believe," she said slowly, "that things happen for a reason."

"Well, I believe that you were brought here for a reason," Azula said, looking at her with a level intensity. Elle was amazed at how the girl could stare at her and seem to _know_ her from the inside out. "You've told me all about how you were a student, studying towards a Mastership. But here you are now, and look what you have done! You have made a difference in this world!"

_Take that, Ryan_, a part of her thought smugly. But Azula wasn't done.

"I know you must miss your home. But look at how much you are giving others. People will have jobs and food and clothing because of you. You may think you are alone, but you are Fire Nation now."

"... thank you," Elle said. It was all that she could think to say. And she knew in the back of her mind that Azula was manipulating her too. But seeing the results of her words in front of her, knowing she was making a difference changed everything. She didn't even care. Elle found herself wanting to take Azula at her word. And if improving this world meant working with Azula, well... that wouldn't be so bad.

---

John knew that the only thing he'd do to Sokka's scheme was get in the way. Two guys on one girl? They'd be arrested as rapists. And not that he really cared one way or the other, but being arrested as a rapist meant effort. And he wouldn't get to wear his hat. He was _going_ to wear that damn hat.

So after the soldiers had taken her, the three of them had raced down to the town. John gave them hats, and Sokka gave him a look.

"Just trust me," John said. "They'll be handy." So they put on the hats and it felt every bit as awesome as he thought it'd be. Which was to say that it kept the sweat _on_ his head as opposed to off, but that was fine. It was a straw-fuckin'-hat. Anime-badass style!

He watched as Katara was transported to the prison ship.

"Will she be all right?" Aang asked.

"She'll be fine," Sokka said.

"Yeah. She'll be fine," John said. "She'll be more fine, though, if we get to Appa and follow the boat." There was no denying his logic, and though they were slow to leave at first they did leave eventually. They were quiet on the way out, and John noticed the twitch in Sokka's eyes and Aang's anxious glances. He knew it'd be the responsible thing to do if he would break the tension, but he had no idea how to do it. His brother was much better for this sort of thing.

They ran to Haru's house and found Appa out and ready to go. Which was eerily convenient, John thought, all things considered. He climbed up through the hair and into the saddle, and soon they were flying through the clouds.

"I just don't get it," Sokka groused. "I don't like the Fire Nation either, but why is she trying to make this complicated?"

"Hey, this is your fault," John said. "I didn't hear you speak up against this."

"It was looking like a good idea at first. But now it's bugging me."

"I guess. I mean, come on. We both know the real reason she pulled this stunt."

"How come?" Aang asked.

"She's totally wanting Haru. Cuz he's deleeshus," John said.

"Wha-bu-no he's not!" Sokka sputtered.

"Oh yeah he is! Those silky brown locks… that body! She's wanting to tap that, man."

"Tap? What's wrong with that?" Aang asked.

"Never mind," said John. "I'll tell you when you're older."

"No, tell me too," Sokka said. "What the heck does that mean?"

"_You_ don't want to know."

"Yeah I do!"

"No you don't."

"I do!"

"You don't."

"I do!"

"You don't." This would resume on again and off again until the night. But this wouldn't work for Sokka. Unknown to him, John had practiced this with Ryan for years.

---

Another day. Another port. Another day of some mundane chore masking a need for labor. Ryan stretched and felt a few pops in his joints. What was next? How much more positive could he muster to meet it? Well, he'd manage it somehow. It was a bad habit, being stable and able to bear. No good reason for him to snap. It was just like an extended summer work time.

_Hell_. _This can't happen. I can't let myself get negative. I can't let my circumstances determine how I feel. I'm better than that. I know I am_.

"Ryan!" Ryan snapped to attention immediately.

"Good morning, your Highness!"

"We're going down to port today," Zuko said, walking up beside him. Ryan knew better than to speak. "My uncle says you ought to come with us." At an earlier time, Ryan would have asked for Zuko's opinion, but he had learned in his time aboard the ship that Zuko would make his opinion known in due time.

"What do you think, Ryan?"

"I don't believe it to be my place to say. I'm your bodyguard before I'm anything else."

"Good. Go wait by the embarkation ramp."

"Yes, your Highness." Ryan bowed and walked. He felt an urge to bounce his step somehow. Holy crap. Finally, more to the world than metal! He looked down the ramp and saw what looked to be a fairly ordinary sort of town. It wasn't very militaristic, really. The place seemed more about commerce, if the buildings and their wares were any indication. He was acutely aware that he was under-clothed, in his vest and pants, but it was what he had. It would be enough. The tromp of metal feet reverberated through the deck.

Finally, he saw Prince Zuko and Iroh approaching, armored for the day. They stepped down the ramp and Ryan fell in to place behind. They reached the ground and Ryan felt himself suddenly sway. Damn land, not moving like it was supposed to. But it only lasted a moment, and he felt more right with every step. The streets were hard stone, and the buildings were columns and flying eaves. Vendors called out in front of the stores, displaying their wares for all to see. Iroh was the only one doing any real shopping; Zuko's stony expression spoke for itself. Ryan kept his eyes moving, both because it was his job and because he wanted to take as much in about this place as it could. He didn't pay much attention to the specific wares.

"Latest fashion from the Fire Nation, sirs! For your women?" a vendor asked, beard oiled to a perfect shine.

"No thanks," Zuko said.

"The Fire Princess herself is wearing them," the vendor said. Ryan thought he saw Zuko's eyes tic.

"I said, no thanks." Ryan looked at the vendor, trying to analyze him when the man's wares caught his eye. He blinked and took a closer look. These looked much more familiar than they should have. Bras and thongs stared up at him.

"Ryan?" Iroh asked. "Do you have a woman who could use these?"

"Ah… not quite."

"Perhaps _you_ could use these?"

"Sir, no sir! These aren't garments suitable for men at all."

"How do you mean?"

"Sir, these are women's undergarments."

"Oh. I see," Iroh said, his eyebrows arching magnificently.

"What purpose do these serve?" Zuko asked, casting a hard glance. "If a woman binds her chest and keeps herself covered, there's no problem."

"I suppose," Ryan said, "that the princess sees things differently."

"What use is this? This hardly covers anything at all," Zuko said, picking up a thong. Iroh scratched his chin as he looked.

"It's a… ah, weapon."

"You're joking."

"No, your Highness! You take one of these, see, and you take a forked stick…" Ryan took the thong and spread the leg loops between his fingers. "Then you take a stone, like so… and…" He pulled back and released it.

"That's too much work," Zuko scoffed. "Just put a stone in and swing it. Like a rope dart."

"I guess. I dunno. I don't pretend to understand women, your Highness."

"Still," Iroh said, "Very versatile. Long range and short range use. I imagine it would also be useful in other ways."

Zuko shook his head and put the garment down before stalking away. Iroh followed, his face showing a trace of some loss, and Ryan close behind.

_Bras and thongs_, Ryan thought. _The touch of modernity. What the bloody hell is this? I know this place has tanks, but even then these designs are far too modern. Something very strange about all this…_

---

John had secretly arrived at the conclusion that the plan to get the captives freed was in-fucking-sane. He still remembered the conversation, though.

_"We don't have much time! What are we gonna do?"_

_"I wish I knew how to make a hurricane," Aang said. John buried his head in his hand. "What? The Warden would run away and we could steal his keys!"_

_"Yeah, like he wouldn't hold on to them," John said._

_"I'm just tossing ideas around."_

_"Toss that one _out_."_

_"I tried talking the Earth Benders into fighting back," Katara said, "but it didn't work. If there was just a way to help them help themselves."_

_"For that, they'd need some kind of earth, or rock. Something they could bend," Sokka said._

_"What about the coal?" John asked. "They're burning a shit ton of it here."_

_"Coal," Aang said. "Earth!"_

The rest was history. John couldn't believe he'd been a part of the process. Which was how he found himself holding Sokka's club and trying to remember the lessons about holding weapons at the right angles.

"There's the intruder!" someone yelled, and John turned to see Fire Nation soldiers surrounding them. He also heard a communal murmur - the prisoners. They had to be.

"Stay back!" Sokka shouted. "I'm warning you!" John rolled his eyes and held his club at the ready.

"Katara, stop! You can't win this fight!" came the voice of a tall man. His beard was formidable, and John figured him for Haru's dad.

"Listen to him well, child," came a stern voice from behind. "You're one mistake away from dying where you stand."

_God_, John thought. _He sounds just like George Takei_.

Suddenly there was a rumbling in the metal of the structure. A river of black rock burst from the ground and spilled all over into a hill. Katara ran to the top, grabbing some of the coal on the way.

"Here's your chance, Earth Benders!" she shouted. "Take it! Your fate is in your own hands!"

John wanted to believe it would work. He really did. She was up there, in one of those 'eyes shining with tears of purpose' kind of moments, Ryan would have said. She honestly believed it would work. But John knew these pansies wouldn't do a damn thing.

So did the Warden, apparently. His laugh rang from the metal. "Foolish girl! You thought a few inspirational words and some coal would change these people? Look at these blank, hopeless faces. Their spirits were broken a long time ago. Oh? But you still believe in them?" John could see the belief ebbing out of her, and felt a pang in his chest. This man was a prick, and John suddenly wanted to just club him.

"How sweet. They're a waste of your energy, little girl," the Warden said. "You've failed." He smirked at the sight of her standing in defeat before he turned on his heel to walk away. John didn't even see the lump of coal that hit the man, just heard a loud crack of impact. The Warden spun immediately, death etched in his features. John looked at Haru, twirling rocks over his splayed fingers.

John tensed. First the blast of flame – then Tyro's defense – then the cry of "No mercy!" Then it was on.

Oh, was it _on_. Shouting and rumbling were the first things that John's adrenaline-clouded mind registered as he ducked out of the way of the firing lines. As the melee quickly advanced to a full-on brawl, however, he managed to retain the sense to stick close to Katara and the others. Sokka had his boomerang out to deal with the spears. John's approach, sadly, would be a little less family-friendly.

Sokka closed the distance between himself and the spearmen, where their range was a hindrance instead of a help. So John followed his example, getting in close and striking low. The first soldier went down with a busted knee, and the second with a concussion. The only thought that really registered in John's mind was _hold the club at a ninety-degree angle, to keep it solid. _A spear jabbed from nowhere, and John jerkily deflected it. It came again and he sidestepped. But this fighter was smart, keeping his distance even as John kept coming closer.

A large crashing sound distracted both of them momentarily. John looked and blinked - there was a whole in the wall where there hadn't been one before. The soldier before him stared a little too long. Before he could turn back, John raced forward and clubbed the soldier's elbow. The soldier grunted with the pain, and John grabbed the man by the face. He put his foot behind the soldier's leg and twisted, taking the soldier down handily.

"That's what you get for looking away. _Bitch_," John said. John looked back to the hole just in time to see Aang throwing coal at the guards. John raced toward them. Most of the fighting was done, and most of the guards were taken care of. John arrived just as the Warden and his last guards floated above.

"No! Please! I can't swim!" the Warden shouted.

"Don't worry," Tyro said. "I hear cowards float." Tyro's hands moved in Cleansing Breath, and the entire load dropped into the sea. John heaved a deep breath; he couldn't believe it was over. It hadn't taken very long at all. But that was the Bender's doing, not his.

_Of course. That's what I always hated about these shows. You have to have powers to make a difference_. Still, if that was the way of things, then so be it. He joined the others streaming to the ships, handing the club back to Sokka.

"You did awesome out there, John," Sokka said with a firm nod.

"Thanks. Man, I couldn't even think. That was the second time I've been involved in a real battle."

"It'll get better. You look like you've had some training before, though. Most people let their weapons slide all over the place, but you hold it like you know what you're doing."

"I've had some training before. My brother and I studied martial arts together."

"I didn't know you had a brother."

"There's an awful lot you don't know about me."

Sokka gave him a suspicious look. "That's true."

"True as it is, I'd suggest keeping your eye on your sister," John said, nodding to where she was standing, Haru closer than the other Earth Benders. Sokka scowled and moved toward them. John looked off the deck into the distance, and suddenly wondered exactly _what_ Ryan was doing.

---

The fact that the Avatar had been here was the only reason Zuko had stopped here. And since there had been a prison break, Ryan was along for the trip. There was the suspicion that there might be escaped prisoners about, and Warden Takei - he'd stifled a chuckle at the name - was less than competent. So Ryan was walking the decks with Zuko, scouring for any sign of the Avatar's presence.

Eventually they made it to the prison level. Here, the metal was charred, and coal littered the ground. The sun was setting. The skies were colored like fire. Ryan peered all around, looking for threats, a shadow, anything. It was Zuko, though, who found the prize. He crouched down, and when he stood there was a glint of blue.

Ryan nodded in satisfaction, and an errant tune escaped his lips. "Blessed be Your name, when the sun's shinin' down on me. When the world's all as it should be, blessed be Your name…"

---

Kishi: That's right. I have occasional bouts of singing. My brother calls it a disease, but I shrug him off. "And when I hurt… hurtin' rolls off my shoulder… how can I hurt when-"

::KABONG goes the guitar as it impacts his head::

Avatar is copyrighted to Bryan Konietzko and Michael DiMartino.

Ryan and John are entirely too retarded to be made up by anyone other than me - despite our reality.

Special thanks to Acastus and the other folks at Avatar Spirit for their fine transcription work.

Special thanks to Hotspur-sensei for her participation in the writing - and telling me I need work. I need to hear that more often.


	8. Chapter 8

Kishi: Wow. My singing must have been _that_ terrible. Not a single review. Oh well. You can't keep me down!

---

Kyoudai

Chapter 8

---

"Those clouds look so soft, don't they? Like you could just jump down and you'd land in a big, soft cottony heap."

"Well, jump then. Tell us what it's like," John said. Sokka snorted.

Katara shot him a look. "Oh, you're a laugh."

"I'll try it!" Aang shouted before leaping gleefully off the side. Even John had to see this, as he crawled over and looked over the side. Aang vanished in a puff of fluff.

"Oh yeah. Of course _you_ can do it," John said, shaking his head. A moment later there was a thump as Aang landed.

"Turns out clouds are made of water!" he said as he slammed fist to palm and caused a burst of air to flare around him, leaving him dry. All of them just looked at him strangely. Katara turned away, and looked ahead.

"Hey. What is that?" she asked. The rest of the group looked ahead. Appa was currently flying over a river valley filled with forest. Except for up ahead. Instead of a healthy green, it was a dead, black color. Even the river couldn't give that place life.

"It's like a scar," Sokka said. John nodded mutely. Aang clambered over to Appa's head and guided him down to the floor of the valley where they saw that everything was burnt and charred. All of them climbed down and walked.

"It's quiet," John said, half to himself. There was no sound anywhere. Not even the river could be heard, and there was no birdsong here. There was no breeze either. Everything was so very still, but it was the stillness of the grave. He noticed the tracks just as Sokka got to them, and his chest clenched. "This sucks," he said. "This really, _really_ sucks. How could anyone do this? Just burn and kill everything in sight?"

He heard shouting from the group and walked over to join them, catching Katara just as she said, "That's why we're going to the North Pole to find you a teacher."

"Yeah, a Water Bending teacher, but there's no one who can teach me how to be the Avatar," Aang said. "Monk Gyatso said that Avatar Roku would help me."

"The Avatar before you?" Sokka asked. "He died over a hundred years ago. How are you supposed to talk to him?"

"I don't know."

"Figure it out Aang," John said, quietly. Everyone turned and looked at him. As much as he hated being the center of attention, he just looked Aang in the eye. "Figure it out. You can't let this happen again."

Katara's eyes narrowed. "How can you say that? Aang didn't let this happen."

John wanted to tell her the _real_ reason Aang had been in that iceberg, but he wasn't about to get involved in some petty squabble. He simply scowled, and said, "You just don't get it."

---

Ryan didn't understand what exactly had made Zuko decide that he had to be punished. All he knew was that standing near the hotspring of a decidedly portly, naked old man. And it was hot because of all the steam. Why was anime always correct in saying that old men loved a hot bath?

Ryan shook his head. Like the old man needed protecting anyway. He'd get kidnapped, and Zuko would find out about it, and rush in and save the guy. Which meant that - oh, _dammit_. He was going to be kidnapped too! And he was way too useless to stop even one of those soldiers alone.

"Are you all right, Ryan? Perhaps the training is too strenuous for you?"

"No, sir. I'm all right." Since Ryan was going to be here, Iroh had seen fit to continue his training. Ryan even knew the drill. He was sitting next to the bath, in a low horse stance, a leaf held in his fingers. The leaf was burning in the middle, and Ryan's job was to concentrate on keeping it contained. This was his second leaf - the first had barely been put in his hands before it had been incinerated. This time, though, he'd been ready for the heat in his hands, and the burning had slowed, stopping just around the edges.

"Sir, I don't understand," Ryan said. "What is the connection between Benders and the Fire?"

"It is a question of chi," Iroh said. "It connects us all. Benders, no matter what their element, are just people who are more in tune with the world around them."

"I see. I think," Ryan replied. _It's simple. You figured this all out when you began writing for this fandom. Bending's just shifting elements tuned along a specific wavelength. The link is fine. It's there. A person is just a bunch of carbon, which is made of protons and neutrons, which are made of quarks, which are made of... energy._ He blinked. _Waitaminnit. Everything's made of energy, then, if everything's made of the same stuff. If I'm energy and earth and water and air are energy... then fire is too. Which means that _I_ am fire. And the _fire_ is me_. He took a breath in and blew out, and the leaf flickered in his hands. Breathe in, breathe out, and now it was glowing brighter. Breathe in-

There was a clap as the leaf was incinerated in a puff of flame. Ryan shouted in surprise, for inbetween his hands now was a curling cloud of orange light. Ryan stared in amazement, looking at his hands shimmering with heat, but remaining unburned.

"So that's how it works," he said.

"Very good, Ryan!" Iroh said from his bath. "I'm impressed with your progress." Ryan heaved a sigh and, though he was not sure how, let the flame die. It wasn't much - blue would probably blow through orange like it was nothing, but still. It was something. Ryan panted as he swept up and out of stance. He'd done it. He didn't know how, but he'd done it. His heart beat faster, and he suddenly had a very crazy idea.

"Sir," he said, "at this very moment, there are soldiers of the Earth Kingdom approaching. If we do not leave, we will both be kidnapped."

Iroh's eyes widened in surprise. "How can you be so sure? Is this a part of history?"

"It is. And I wouldn't try to change it if it had any bearing on what is to come. But it is a meaningless event. It just delays the Prince from his mission."

"Are you sure?" Iroh asked. "Nothing happens without a reason, Ryan. This was significant enough to make the histories. Are you sure?"

"Sir, this goes in the history books as a lapse of judgment and an unwise moment that may have been fatal. I promise, if it's important, I'll let it happen."

"Very well, then," Iroh said, heaving himself out of the bath. Ryan looked away just in time.

---

"Princess Azula. An honor, my Lady."

"It is good to see you, Commander Zhao," Azula purred. The breeze carried the scent of salt and the promise of rain. Elle had learned them both in the voyage to meet with Zhao. When Azula hadn't kept her busy with self-defense and training, she would just wander the deck outside, enjoying the wind and the surf.

Azula had pressed her, during some 'friendly chatter,' as to what exactly she knew about the future. Without saying too much, Elle had said that Zhao was going to have some encounters with the Avatar. Well, obviously it made no sense for Azula to have no information on the Avatar at all. So under the guise of offering her services, Elle was to spy on the Avatar.

"_Even if he is destined to fail, I will learn from his failing. Every opportunity he misses, I can take,"_ she'd said. Azula had also made it clear that Elle was free to change destiny, if it was possible.

Elle hadn't liked the idea at all. Azula was the closest thing she had to a friend in this place. Being apart from her would leave her alone in the world! Stuck with _Zhao_. It did not have a good feeling.

But Azula had promised her with that smile that didn't reach the eyes, "Don't worry. You have my protection." Which was fine and good when she was _there_, but now that wouldn't be the case. She'd be stuck with this man now.

"I'll be brief, since I have no time," Azula said. "This is Elle. She is a seer in my service, and has proven invaluable in the war effort. I have decided to have her use her powers for you."

Zhao had stifled the look of surprise very quickly, but Elle hadn't missed it. So he smiled instead and said, "It is a fine gift. But I am hardly worthy of it. She would be more useful to you."

"She is useful where I say she is useful," Azula said, and it did not sound childish. "You will accept her help."

Zhao's face was still, but he still seemed unconvinced. So Elle, remembering Azula's orders, decided to help push things along. "You, of all people, should respect knowledge," she said. "Why else would you go to Won Shi Tong's library?"

Zhao couldn't hide his surprise this time, and for a moment, Elle felt pretty smug. But that was before he stepped forward and punched, sending a ball of flames flying at her. She froze. She had no idea what to do. But suddenly there was a blast of blue heat, and then nothing. In the aftermath, everything seemed so very quiet, and all she could hear was the sound of her heartbeat.

"You see?" Azula said.

"I do," Zhao replied. He was pale, but the color was returning to him. "Please forgive my outburst. I believed her to be a spy."

"She can be unnerving," Azula said, as though near-immolations were an every day thing. For all Elle knew, maybe they were. "But you see my point. I am lending her services to you. You will protect her with your life, or I will take yours in exchange. Are we clear." It should have been a question, but hearing it removed all doubt.

"Yes, my Lady," he said with a bow. Azula nodded and turned to Elle, beckoning her closer. Elle stepped over to her.

"Don't be afraid of him," Azula said quietly. "You are the one who's in control here, because I am protecting you. My guards will be with you at all times, and you have my authority. But that doesn't mean anything if you're afraid. Do you understand?"

"Yes, my Lady."

"Very good." Azula nodded once more to Zhao in casual dismissal, before turning and walking back to her ship. Elle watched her go, but not without some sense of trepidation. Still, she'd had a point. Elle could not give in to fear. She had to keep a strong front, at least, until her time here was through.

She turned to Zhao, surrounded by her personal cadre of bodyguards, and said, "Well? My quarters, if you please."

---

Seeing Katara find the acorns did a wonder for John's spirits as well. He hadn't even minded when she threw one at him for laughing at Sokka. The old man, though, had reminded him why exactly they were here. So they had spent the afternoon walking through the forest, where it was good and green again and John could _hear_ life again. This was the one soft spot he allowed himself, his love of nature. People could be stupid or insulting or angry or anything, but not the trees. Not the animals. Here, shit worked.

As the sun sank nearer to the horizon and the sky was painted orange, John could see the low walls of the Earth Kingdom Village. He didn't see the damage done until he stepped within the village itself. That was when he saw the house that was only a badly-leaning frame. There was another house that was just utterly wrecked. Nobody was in the watchtower at the edge, and everything was very still. It wasn't a dead still, but a tense one. Like it was waiting. They walked to the last building, a low earth structure with green roof, styled like flying eaves. The group stepped inside, and John could see all the villagers, sitting or standing in clumps. Nobody seemed to want to be alone, and the place seemed hushed, subdued.

A man dressed somewhat more richly than the others walked over, probably the mayor, and began talking. John remembered enough of this to know what was going on. They were talking about Hei Bai, the panda spirit. That was right, this place was under attack and Aang was going to learn stuff here.

John tuned in just as Sokka asked, "Why is it attacking you?"

"We do not know," the mayor said, looking at the sunset. "But each of the last three nights, he has abducted one of our own. We are especially fearful because the winter solstice draws near."

"What happens then?" Katara asked.

"Things get creepy, right?" John said. "Hei Bai's world and our world become one and the same. Or something."

The old man nodded. "He's right. Hei Bai has already caused us much trouble. When the solstice comes, his full power will be brought to bear here. We don't know what will happen."

"So," Aang said, "what do you want me to do exactly?"

"Who better to resolve a crisis between our world and the spirit world than the Avatar himself? You are the great bridge between man and spirits."

"Right…" Aang said, his voice lacking enthusiasm. "That's me."

"Hey, 'great bridge guy,'" Katara said. "Can I talk to you over here for a second?"

John walked over to the window with the lot of them. The sun was already sinking into the trees.

"Aang, you seem a little unsure about all this," Katara said.

"Yeah. That might be because I don't know anything at all about the spirit world." Aang shook his head. "It's not like there's someone to teach me this stuff!"

"Well, that's too damn bad," John said. "You're gonna have to man up about this. I don't know if you've noticed this, but they need your help here. This place is all messed up, so you have to fix it."

"I know! I know," Aang groused, rubbing his head. "I just wish I knew what to do."

"Look, you're either going to make an excuse or you're going to make a way. And you don't have time for excuses."

"Quit being so harsh with him!" Katara snapped. "What's gotten into you, John?"

"Yeah, come on. You not had enough to eat or something?" Sokka asked.

"That's not it," John said. "I just… I just don't like it when people fuck with the forest, you know? I mean, it's not like it _does_ something that needs punishing, it's just there. And people still find reasons to make a mess of things. And nobody's even going out there to take care of the acorns, it's just being left alone."

"I understand," Katara said, "but that doesn't give you the right to take it out on Aang."

"I have every right! It's not _my_ fault this happened, it's _his_. But since you couldn't take it like a real man, you weren't here to do your job!"

"That's enough!" Katara said, placing an arm around Aang's shoulders. "Don't worry, Aang. _I'll_ believe in you."

Sokka nodded, then turned to John. "We're all going to get eaten," he said in a low voice.

"Fuck _yeah_," John said. "And I say we take it down with us. You in?"

Sokka glanced at him in surprise before nodding mutely.

---

Elle's quarters on the ship were adequate, to say the least. Her bed was raised off the cold metal floor, and looked more comfortable the longer she wasn't in it. A dressing screen was off to the side, and a decently-sized closet was built into the wall. No vanity to speak of, but she would live. There was even a porthole window to let the light in. Looking at it all and thinking about it, she realized that this room had probably been used by soldiers. It had been cleared out and cleaned up, just for her sake.

Of course, having a _real_ guest room would have been better, but this was a warship first. Zhao had done the best he could, she supposed. She began to unpack one of her trunks when there was a knocking at her door. "Come in!" she called.

The door opened and one of her bodyguards stepped inside. He was heavily armored and his features were hidden by his helmet. His eyes were covered in shadow, and there were slits cut where his mouth should have been. He was ominous and intimidating, and Elle was quite glad that he was on her side.

"Commander Zhao is here to see you." Elle blinked, but then nodded. She couldn't hold him off forever anyway. Besides, ostensibly she was here to help. It'd be awfully suspicious if she didn't do her part.

The man stepped in and looked her dead in the eye. Elle had to admit, these people had a thing for eye contact and intense gazing. But after living with Azula, she had to admit Zhao's gaze wasn't too much.

"Forgive me," he said smoothly. "I didn't get a chance to offer proper courtesies. As I'm sure you know, I am Commander Zhao."

"Commander," she said, offering a bow. She didn't quite have the authority to look down her nose at him, but this would do as it was. She could be civil. "I appreciate the time taken to accommodate me."

"Of course. I look forward to working with you. With this in mind, I was wondering if you could perhaps offer me some guidance as to what I should do."

Interesting. Just one demonstration of her knowledge and already he was asking for her advice. Then again, knowledge was power, and Zhao was nothing if not power-hungry. So she decided to acquiesce. "Go back to your blockade," she said. "The Avatar will be passing by there soon. It will be a good opportunity to capture him." She knew that it'd be better for Zhao to kill him, but she didn't have anything against the Avatar. Best not to give Zhao any ideas. "Also," she said, "Prince Zuko will be in pursuit."

"I see," Zhao said, cupping his chin in thought. "This will be an opportunity to kill two birds with one stone. Excellent." He looked to her and smiled, but Elle suddenly had a bad feeling. Why didn't smiles reach the eyes around here? "I will leave you to your work, then, Seer. Your meals will be brought to you, and soldiers will be posted in the hall. For your protection, of course." He bowed, turned, and left.

As the door shut, Elle clenched her fists. She wasn't dumb - she'd read right between the lines. But then again, she could have misread… so she walked toward her door. She stepped outside into the corridor. Sure enough, even with the bodyguards at her side, the ends of the hall had guards posted. In addition to the four, there were another four interspersed between.

Before Elle could make another step, one of the guards strode over and planted himself in front of her. "Seer," he intoned gravely, "there is no need for you to strain yourself. Please rest in your quarters."

So. She'd read rightly. She nodded and stepped back into her room as regally as she could manage. Once the doors closed, she clenched her fists. So that was how it would be. Still, though, there were positive aspects. Maybe she'd be able to catch up with those self-defense drills Azula had been teaching her.

She let the involuntary shudder pass before she did anything else.

---

"So John. When are we going to move out?"

"We'll wait for it. Who knows? Aang might get this right." And he might. John didn't quite remember this episode.

"He can save us," the old man said. The two boys nodded mutely, and Sokka's face was pale. John didn't imagine he looked any better, but then, he was always pale.

He suddenly heard a shouting from outside. He walked over next to Katara and watched Aang, shouting and planting his staff defiantly in the ground. John saw him turn and begin to walk back toward the building - and then there was the Shape. And the thudding of feet. "Oh, snap!" was the only thing he could think to say. As Hei-Bai - that was the name, right - trudged along, John could see exactly how intimidating this thing was. It was taller in the shoulder than any other structure out here. It had six limbs – four primary, and two vestigial in the middle. Even though he knew it was a panda, he couldn't help but be reminded of an orca whale.

Aang turned, as if realizing something was amiss. He bowed his head to the spirit, and John was suddenly glad it wasn't him out there, facing down rows of sharp teeth. But all Hei-Bai did was to roar in anger and charge into the village. John was suddenly _that_ much more appreciative of all those Godzilla movies, watching Hei-Bai blur from one structure to the next, destroying each with a blast of blue light or with its brutish strength. Aang, for all his running around, clearly had no idea what he was doing.

"The Avatar's methods are-" the old man was cut off as random debris struck the windows. "Unusual," he finished.

"John!" Sokka called, "maybe now would be a good time?"

"Not yet! We gotta wait for a clear shot!" John shouted, pressed against the wall.

"That would be unwise," the old man said. "Only the Avatar has any chance against Hei-Bai."

"Guys, it'll be okay. Aang will figure out the right thing to do." Katara turned back to looking out the window, and her face had a focused intensity about it. John turned his gaze back outside and watched as Aang ran to get between the monster and a building. Just now, John could hear the Avatar's voice shouting at it. He leapt onto a rooftop and this time John heard him, clear if not loud. "I'm just trying to do my job as spirit bridge! Excuse me, would you please turn around?" Hei-bai didn't heed this, continuing to pound a building flat into the ground. "I command you to turn around!" This time, Hei-Bai complied, spinning and throwing Aang off the rooftop.

"That's it! He needs help!" Sokka shouted, running for the double doors.

"Sokka, wait!" Katara shouted.

"Show time!" John shouted, running after him. Sokka pulled the doors open and ran outside. The old man caught Katara before she could go, and John had every intention of going out there. The pile of bodies that crashed into him at the behest of the mayor said otherwise, though. All he could do was watch as Sokka's boomerang, when thrown, had absolutely no effect. Sokka still ran forward anyway, to Aang's side, and with almost no effort, the monster picked up Sokka and loped back to the forest.

"Sokka!" Katara screamed, breaking from the old man's grip. John ran after her, swearing, but he knew it was too late. Only Aang could catch Hei-Bai now, and they were both distant from the gate by the time Katara and he made it there.

"Katara," John gasped. "I… am… so… sorry."

"Why did you say those things to him!" Katara shrieked, turning upon him. Her eyes had a look that screamed of imminent violence.

"Why didn't you?" he asked. "You saw what was happening! We had to help!"

"What happened to all your talk of Aang doing his job? You could have just trusted him!"

"What about you? Whining about how I'm supposed to give that kid a break, and when I finally do, _this_ is the thanks I get?"

"I wasn't supposed to lose my brother!"

"I _know_ that, damn it! I said I was sorry. Okay? Why don't you just put some faith in Aang for once?"

"He'll get it done," Katara said. "I know it. He'll be back, with Sokka and everyone else. Just you watch."

"Yeah. I will." They both resolutely turned their gazes into the forest, as the moon shone down.

---

The night was calm. Ryan's former prison quarters had been converted to living quarters. It hadn't required much, and considering the bunking conditions the others lived in he considered himself lucky. He'd been granted blankets, and some spare changes of clothing. Zuko, upon hearing of Ryan's progress, had given him a candle he was to light and meditate before nightly.

Ryan tried to keep his mind off the fact that Zuko had a friggin' menorah to practice with, and all he'd been given was this dinky candle. He could rationalize this – he just wasn't ready yet. He'd lit a flame for the first time today, but since that epiphany it hadn't come quite so easy. He'd ended up blasting the candle when he tried to light it. Still, though, power and control would come in time. Learning to walk meant tripping up a bit.

So he climbed into bed and put his head on his arms and let every muscle relax and felt the sweet sleep of exhaustion overtake him - and then the dream.

Clouds were the first thing he saw. The world was made of clouds as far as he could see, all bathed in a golden light. He stood on solid ground, or what felt near enough like it, but he could see nothing else. Despite this, he didn't feel any particular panic.

"Okay, so I'm dreaming about the Spirit World," Ryan said. "Makes sense. I live in his world, so of course I would dream about his world."

"I fear this is no dream," an older voice said. Ryan blinked. There was only one older voice that ever spoke to people in their dreams in this place. Ryan spun, looking for the old man he knew would be there. And there Roku was, tall and regal in red robes.

"Avatar Roku," Ryan said with a bow. "If you are here to tell me I'm a new Avatar, I will know this is a nightmare."

To his surprise, the old man chuckled. "No, Ryan. I know of your world, and I can appreciate your sentiment."

"Thank God," Ryan said, then winced. Maybe that was out of place. But if it was, the Avatar didn't show it.

"I fear I come to you with grimmer tidings," he said. "You have interfered with destiny."

"I don't understand."

"You are aware of the flow events," Roku said. "You know how things must go. You knew that Iroh was meant to be captured, and that Zuko was meant to follow him. You knew that Zuko would be faced with the choice of following his uncle or following after the Avatar."

"I also knew that it was my duty to protect Iroh," Ryan said. "I had to do my duty. Am I at fault for this?"

"Your loyalty is not at fault. But by your loyalty, you have interfered with what was meant to be. Iroh was meant to be captured, and Zuko was meant to be faced with the moral choice - whether to be loyal to his uncle or loyal to himself. But he has not made that choice, and he is different for it now."

"Avatar, I don't get it. His loyalty to his uncle's a given. Isn't it?"

"Is it truly?"

"Well…" Scenes and instances flashed through Ryan's mind - and then he saw. The fall of Be Cing Xe. Oh _no_.

"You see it."

"I do. Avatar, I… I didn't think…"

"No, you did not. And there is another problem. Look to the east." Ryan looked where Roku pointed, and now the sky was night. It was beautiful, more stars than he had ever seen - except for one place, which seemed to be just a sliver of black. And it was growing.

"What is that?"

"That is the hole that is growing, as the world-that-is grows away from the world-that-should-be."

Ryan, upon reflection of how much space that 'little' sliver must represent, felt himself trembling. "That's huge! Did I do that just by _one_ action?"

"No. Others have come from your world, and they interfere with the flow of events, changing the world more and more."

"How do I fix this?"

"You cannot."

"I… but. Um."

"Don't be afraid," Roku said, smiling. "Do not concern yourself with healing the world. That will be seen to. Your task is heavy enough."

"And that's to make sure that everything goes peachy."

"Yes. You must do this. If the hole is permitted to grow, this world will be changed by it. Bending will become unpredictable, destructive. People will stare into the dark, and soon the dark will stare back at them."

"I understand. I promise, I won't fail."

Roku nodded approvingly. "Then go."

Ryan woke up.

---

When the show had put Katara sitting outside all night, it hadn't been kidding. John had sat up with her, partly because there was nothing else to do, but more because he was too pissed off to go to sleep. What did she _want?_ He felt terribly enough as it was. It was _not_ his fault that things had gone the way they had.

Still, though, he had to admit. The girl was faithful. And dedicated. You just didn't see that in girls back in his world. Everyone was always trying to be something on _their_ terms, and they changed their minds as soon as things went wrong. But not Katara. No, she got mad about it. He could respect that.

He heard footsteps and turned to see the old man's approach. "I'm sure they'll be back," he said.

"I know."

"You should get some rest," he said, putting a straw covering on her back.

"What, no cover for me?" John asked.

"Are you cold?"

"Well… no. Not really. But still." Katara started shaking, and the old man patted her shoulder. John caught the look on her face though - was she _laughing_ at him? "And what's so funny?"

"Nothing," she said. "Nothing at all."

John turned his gaze back out of the village. "Aang sure is taking his time about this whole thing."

"Everything's gonna be okay. He'll make it back."

"And Sokka will be with him. And he'll have a bunch of apple-peaches. Or whatever you call 'em around here."

"You mean moon peaches."

"Whatever. I don't even _like_ peaches. He'll just bring 'em back for the one-ton wrecking crew over there."

"Who, Appa? No way. Appa's too gentle for something like that."

John shrugged. "'ell. Maybe. I dunno. Just a lot of mass there and an awful lot to do with it."

Katara stood. "I'm going to get some breakfast. You hungry?" John was up on his feet with an open, hopeful look on his face.

The day passed slowly and awkwardly. This was on the basis that John was slow and awkward in terms of conversation, and he didn't feel up to leaving Katara. For some reason or other. But whatever it was, it made talking even more awkward. After the morning burst, she seemed a bit more nicely disposed, but he couldn't get over his sweaty palms and thudding chest.

It made for some painful conversation, though.

"So… uh, you into whips?"

"Excuse me?"

"You know… whips."

"Are you talking about some kind of flower?"

"… yes, actually."

"I've never heard of them."

"Oh, okay. No big deal. I was just asking."

"Okay."

"…"

"…"

"Probably not into feathers either."

"What?"

"Oh, nothing. Nothing at all."

Late in the day, Katara departed aboard Appa. John didn't go with her - he was just too _bored_. He'd taken to running through the Eight Postures and the Taiji Yang form, he was so desperate. Old Man had just Played the Guitar for the umpteenth time when she came back, and her downcast expression bespoke her results.

As she hopped down, he broke form and walked to meet her. "No luck?" She shook her head, and John sighed. "Man, he's sure taking his time about it, isn't he?"

"He'll make it John," she said. But she didn't seem so sure.

"I'm sure he will," he said. He even managed to make it sound unsarcastic. He walked with her back to the meeting hall, and ate, but she was depressed and he was an introvert. Conversation didn't happen. She finished first though and left, her steps taking her outside. Against his will, John suddenly missed his brother. Not having anybody to be sarcastic with was getting kind of lonely.

He finished the last of his rice and lay his chopsticks down politely before the woman took the tray from him. He stood and walked outside. The sky was on fire with another beautiful sunset. John looked for Katara and - what the? Aang was being hugged by the girl. "You made it back," he said.

Aang nodded. Katara looked at him. "Where's Sokka?"

"I'm not sure," he said, turning his gaze back to look toward the forest. The village mayor came out, and Aang relayed his findings. The mayor still looked hopeful, and Aang walked to the entrance again to await the beast.

"Come on, Katara," John said. "Let's get inside. I get the feeling it's about to be on again soon."

"'About to be on'?"

"Nevermind. Let's just get in the building." They both walked through the door and took up their spots near the windows. The skies grew darker and the air took a coolness, but all was still quiet. Finally, Aang turned from the gate and began to walk back. John could feel some kind of breeze - and then, with a furious crash, there was Hei Bai, roaring in triumph. Aang cried out in surprise, and a bubble of high-pressured air blew into being to protect him from the debris. Hei Bai roared again and charged toward the Meeting House.

"Oh shit!" John said, instinctively backing away. "Everyone get away from the wall!"

Suddenly, the growing rumbling suddenly stopped. John's eyebrows quirked, and he stepped forward cautiously. There seemed to be some kind of talking going on outside. He walked over to Katara's window just in time to see the spirit turn into a panda. The giant gently turned and began to walk away.

"He did it!" Katara said.

"Whew. Good. What about the other villagers?"

"Look!" someone shouted. Hei Bai was just exiting the village, and a bamboo grove had sprung up in his passage. People were stepping out of it - and at last, there was Sokka.

"Sokka!" Katara shouted and she was off running. John didn't run, though. Running to a missed loved one was for fags. And Katara. _Real_ men walked up like it was no big deal. But Sokka's expression as he ran from his sister was less-than-manly, and was more the look of bladder-panic that overcomes otherwise rational people. Around him, all kind and manner of reunions were going on, and John was taken again by the sudden feeling of his missing Ryan. He defiantly crossed his arms and looked skyward. He'd find that punk.

Later, all four of them were gathered before the mayor. "Thank you, Avatar," he said. "If there only were a way to repay you for what you've done."

"You could give us some supplies and some money," Sokka said seriously. Katara elbowed him.

"No, actually, he's right," John said.

The mayor bowed. "It would be an honor to help you prepare for your journey."

"You did good, Aang," John said. "You managed to get it done."

"Thanks. But now there's something else."

"What's up?" Sokka asked.

"I need to talk to Roku," Aang said, "and I think I've found a way to contact his spirit."

"You see dead people?" John asked.

"Uh, yeah," Aang said.

"Okay. Just asking."

"So how are we going to do it?" Katara asked.

"There's a temple on a crescent-shaped island, and if I go there on the solstice I'll be able to speak with him."

"But the solstice is tomorrow," Katara pointed out.

"Yeah, and there's one more problem. The island is in the Fire Nation."

John felt his shoulders sag. "Wow, if it's not one thing it's another," he said with a stretch.

---

Kishi: Well, I did it. Somehow or other, I did it. For you guys. I didn't sing a single note.

John: You couldn't sing a single note anyway, so it shouldn't have been hard.

Kishi: Quiet, you! This is my soapbox!

John: Yeah, and you can _keep_ it. I got a couch.

Kishi: Yeah, well… yeah. You _get_ on that couch.

John: I _will_.

…

Kishi: So yeah, me and my bro are shamelessly weird on a massive stage. But weird is funny, right? E-heh-heh-heh?

Elle: Ryan, don't be like the fan brats. Just show the disclaimer.

Avatar is copyrighted to Bryan Konietzko and Michael DiMartino.

Ryan and John are entirely too retarded to be made up by anyone other than me - despite our reality.

Special thanks to Acastus and the other folks at Avatar Spirit for their fine transcription work.

Special thanks to Hotspur-sensei for her participation in the writing.


	9. Chapter 9

Kishi: So yeah, in case you didn't guess, this is the chapter where all our brave heroes meet for the first time in this strange new world. Let us see what happens, shall we?

---

Kyoudai

Chapter 9

---

"Well, would you look at that."

"Hm? What's up?" Sokka asked.

John pointed. "Looks like Aang's trying to leave without us." The group of them turned from where they were packing away supplies to see the young Air Bender tugging futilely at the bison's reins. The three finished their packing and walked over toward Aang as he pulled and pulled and wound up on the ground.

"You going somewhere?" John asked.

Aang spun around, his look caught between guilt and determination. "Look, guys, it's for the best. I couldn't forgive myself if any of you got hurt."

"You think we'd have it any easier?" Sokka asked.

"Aang, please. Don't try to do this alone," Katara said. "The world can't afford to lose you to the Fire Nation. Neither can I." John suddenly wanted to gag.

"But I have to talk to Avatar Roku to find out what my vision means. I need to get to the Fire Temple before the sun sets on the Solstice. That's today."

"We're not letting you go into the Fire Nation, Aang," Katara said, a touch more firmly.

"We got your back on this one," John said. "If you're going, we're going with you." Momo leapt to Aang's arm, chittering support. Appa even got caught up in the moment, showing his appreciation by licking Sokka from toe to top.

"_Ewwwwww!_" Sokka shrieked.

"Dude," John said as the mayor walked over, some kind of parcel in hand, "how did you miss that? A giant head coming at you and a tongue. I mean, it's not hard to dodge."

"Why don't you get licked and then tell me?" Sokka snapped, trying desperately to wipe himself clean. John forewent an answer, instead hopping up onto Appa.

"Come on!" he shouted. "We gotta go already!"

---

After his dream, Ryan had made a mad dash to the Prince's room and informed him of the Earth Kingdom village nearby. Zuko had been fairly uninterested right up until Ryan said that the men had also spotted a flying bison in the area. It just made sense that they'd have some kind of insight into this.

They'd set out on Rhino-back immediately, crashing along the path. Ryan had wondered if stealth might not be inadvisable, but Zuko was in too much of a hurry. Besides, as Ryan had said, the place had no soldiers. It was nothing but civilians - it'd be easy to just get there and get back.

The village was in poor shape when they arrived. The walls were cracked and beaten, and the streets looked fairly empty. Granted, it was very, _very_ late, but still. Riding up into a small, quiet place gave Ryan a faint dose of paranoia. There were supposed to be people here.

Then one stepped out of a door. Ryan knew him for the mayor immediately, and he reined up as Zuko leapt down from his mount. Roku's message still rang in his ears; he knew that his place was to insure that the natural order of things. As Zuko interrogated the hapless mayor, Ryan's mind was set more on the problem of exactly who had slipped through.

_My brother's probably in here too_, he thought, and for a moment he was glad. Having the reassurance that he was alive did Ryan's heart some good. But it was quickly followed by annoyance - _what_ exactly had that kid done to mess with the order of this place? His thoughts also carried him back to memories of lingerie. The lingerie that had no business existing in this world, in this time. But there it was. Which meant that somebody was inventing things and seeing to their spread throughout the Fire Nation. Probably female, or a male with questionable tastes, but try as he might he couldn't narrow it down much more than that.

"Come on, Ryan!" Zuko shouted as he leapt back astride his Rhino. "The Avatar's just left. If we can get back to the ship in time, we may be able to catch him!" Ryan mutely turned and followed. He wondered if his prince grasped that waking the helmsman and setting sail at this hour would be a formidable task.

---

John was not a fan of all-nighters. Riding since the middle of night, even if it was flying, with a hell of a view on a mission that could change the fate of the world, did not make him a happy camper. He'd tried to doze off, but some obscure piece of him wouldn't let him sleep. His heart was beating too fast, his eyes wouldn't close, and his palms were hot.

Then the sun had come up and he'd sworn. But at least there was food for the eating, and something to gnaw on. He heard Aang shouting his encouragement and fought back a yawn. Things were about to get dicey enough without him falling asleep.

-

"Sailing into Fire Nation Waters… of all the foolish things you have done in your sixteen years, Prince Zuko, this is the most foolish." Standing here on deck, chugging along at full steam, the wind blowing and the spray flying, Ryan had a hard time keeping his enthusiasm in check. He wanted to believe that his prince, peering through the telescope at the bison above, would actually catch the Avatar. What could he say? The intensity was catching.

Now, the catapult would be problematic. But it was going to miss. He knew it was. It was what had to be. Speaking of which, he had to figure out how to make up for what he'd done. He knew what Roku had said - that that task would be seen to - but he still felt responsible. Besides, the man had never said _who_ would see to fixing it. Or what. Or how. If he planted the right suggestions, the right way, maybe he could make a difference. Patch up existence a little.

"I have no choice, Uncle."

"Have you completely forgotten that the Fire Lord _banished_ you? What if you're caught?"

Zuko turned from his telescope, scowling. "I'm chasing the Avatar. My father will understand why I'm returning home."

"You give him too much credit. My brother is not the understanding type."

Ryan stepped forward from his place and leaned closer to the Prince. "My Lord, he may have a point," he said. "My job is to protect you. I can protect you from soldiers and brigands, but armies are a little out of my league."

"I don't care," Zuko hissed. "The Avatar is the key to everything. I have to take this chance."

"I understand. And I will go with you. I merely ask that you not discard his advice so lightly." Zuko spun back to his telescope and Ryan grit his teeth against a sigh. This would be a fine line, but Zuko wouldn't be terribly hard, he hoped. He was hard-headed, and didn't change his mind easily. It just might work, crazy though it seemed.

"There they are! Helmsman, full steam ahead!"

-

Elle slid into the narrow space between the boxes, trying not to be seen. Fortune had smiled on her today. She had woken up this morning, with a single guard by the door. "My lady, we have been all called into battle. All hands on deck. The Commander ask that you rest in your room till your safety can be assured," the guard had said when she opened her door to greet the goon squad.

Elle had nodded, saying she had a headache and would prefer to remain in her room. Of course, as soon as the armor clad lunk-head was out of sight, Elle had run up the stairs and unto deck. Hiding herself as well as possible, she could hear everything and see enough. From every direction, ships seemed to bloom out of the sea, almost like a row of metallic flowers. Wow, she was getting poetic. She must really miss her home.

Above her head, she could see…Appa. Wow, TV had never captured how truly big the animal was. It looked like a giant throw rug floating in the air, truly an inspiring sight. Aang…Katara…Sokka, people she had watched on TV had were only a few hundred feet above her head. Commander Zhao was in fine form, standing a few feet away, standing by enormous catapaults, which loomed all over the deck like enormous arms. "Well, the little seer was right. The Avatar and the banished Prince. This must be my lucky day," he smirked, looking like the cat that had swallowed the canary. "I shall have to thank her for the tip."

The soldier who had guarded her door stepped up. "Commander Zhao, what are your orders?" he asked, looking worried.

Zhao gave a long smirk. "Shoot the Bison down." There was a glee in his voice that reminded Elle of when her brothers blackmailed her into raiding the stew pot. Well, this was fine, Aang would escape.

"But there's a Fire Navy ship out there, Sir, one of our own. What if it's hit?" the soldier queried, his voice sounding very nervous. Elle couldn't see it from her hiding spot, but she knew Prince Zuko was on the way. He'd survive this encounter, canon was with him. Of course, Zhao was well armed against canon, as he had trebuchets.

Zhao gave a long shrug. "So be it," he said laconically, ignoring the way the soldier looked quite horrified. "It belongs to a traitor. And if anything happens…I can have the little seer say she foresaw some doom if I hadn't have shot him down. Women are easy to handle," he said, moving out of her sight of view and down her list of people she liked. "Launch!!!"

Elle watched the sky fill with balls of fire. It would have been beautiful if she hadn't been actively panicking and praying none of them hit her. The velocity had the fireballs going away from them…but there was always return fire. "Launch!" Zhao shouted again, as the soldiers yelled for reloads. Elle was suddenly pondering why Zhao wasn't yelling fire. Okay, battle puns were definitely inappropriate right now.

"Damn!" Zhao swore in a segment that had been obviously been censored. Elle quickly ducked, trying to make sure she wasn't seen. She was in authority here, but she was outnumbered. It was best to be…discreet. "Where do you think the Avatar is headed, Sir?" a pleasant male voice asked, also outside the range of Elle's sight.

"I'm not sure. But I bet the seer knows where the banished prince is. Bring her to me," Zhao commanded. Elle winced, realizing how horrible this would go.

"The seer said she had a headache…," the guard trailed off, looking nervous. Apparently, disturbing a grumpy seer was thought unlucky. Still, would Zhao care? "What use is she if she has…headaches? I'll do this myself, no need to bring her in," Zhao muttered, sounding furious as he pronounced Elle's salvation. "Besides…she'd be more harm than help. I don't need some child on the deck, screaming at the sight of blood."

"The prince is still sailing towards the blockade," another voice rang out, taking Zhao's attention away from the runaway seer and to the renegade prince. "Summon the twenty-sixth company."

---

With the excitement of running the blockade past, John found his eyes growing heavy. It was understandable, he supposed. They'd been riding since a little after midnight the previous night, but now that they were in the clear with the gentle warmth of the sun, staying awake was proving to be tricky. He would have felt worse about it, except that he saw Sokka's head nodding and Katara's eyes closed.

He stretched and lay back. There was nothing that was going to happen anyway, he knew that much. Maybe he could get a couple winks before the battle at the Temple… and then the thought crossed his mind. He swore, realizing that Aang wasn't going to get any rest. Dammit. How was John supposed to sleep now?

He crawled up through the saddle – no way was he going to _walk_ this – and peeked over at Aang. "Yo."

"Oh. Hey John."

"Aren't you tired?"

"No. It's fine. I can stay up here."

"You sure? You've been up all night. You need me to take over?"

"Do you even know how to deal with Appa?"

"Well… no. Matter of fact, I don't have a clue." John felt his face trying to burn.

"It's okay. Don't worry about it. I'm not tired."

"Look, I know I talk a lot, but you don't owe me anything. Really, are you all right?"

"It's weird," Aang said, stretching his arms out. "I just don't feel tired at all. Maybe sitting in meditation all day yesterday had something to do with it. Even if I didn't have that, I don't think I could sleep as it is now."

"I know what you mean."

"Don't worry. Go back and get some rest. I'll wake you guys up when we get there."

"Well, all right then." John crawled back, lay down and closed his eyes.

---

With the engines hit during Zhao's bombardment, progress in chasing the Avatar had been slowed significantly. Zuko had not left the deck once, pacing back and forth on the deck. Ryan was reminded of a newly-caged tiger. He wanted to advise his Prince that he ought to relax, that he was letting his circumstances determine his attitude, but it wasn't his place to do so.

"Some tea, perhaps?" Iroh said.

"If you are offering, sir." Ryan looked at the retired general as he produced a cup of steaming, leafy water. Ryan knew that was all tea was, but he was grateful nonetheless. "Something to soothe the nerves?"

"Hardly," Iroh said. "This is not a time for dulled action. We have to be very careful. Zuko has worked himself into a very tricky position."

"That he has," Ryan said. "He's in forbidden territory, chasing his quarry with his enemy chasing him."

"You wouldn't happen to have any insights to grant us, would you?"

"I can't sir. I… I have been forbidden."

"Forbidden?" Ryan turned to Iroh and explained everything. The vision. The tearing of reality. How what was meant to be was what had to be.

"I acted foolishly," he finished. "In rescuing you, I almost prevented Prince Zuko from discovering the Avatar's whereabouts. My tampering really could have made a mess of things."

"They could have. But they didn't. And you have learned your lesson and tried to make things right. No more could be asked of you than that."

"You're too kind, sir. I thank you, though."

The two of them stood, watching the sky. The air stank of smoke, but somehow the ship was pushing on.

---

"There it is!" Aang crowed. "The island Roku's dragon took me to!" John sat up, blinking rapidly from the semi-doze he'd found himself in. A day without a nap was crap, but the waking-up part was never easy either. He stretched as much as he could, though, while the crescent island loomed larger and larger. John could see a volcano on the island, and it looked pretty active with the constant flow of lava. As they got lower, he could also see the pagoda structure of the Fire Temple, on a spit of rock jutting out and away from the volcano proper. There was some kind of bridge leading down the slope to a 'landing pad.' That was the only way John could think of it, given its convenience of location. Aang guided the Bison down to the point, and everyone leapt off.

"You did it, buddy," Aang said, patting Appa's face. "Nice flying." The Bison groaned and rolled over onto his side. John was just glad he'd gotten off in time. He watched as Katara walked over to Appa and began rubbing his tummy.

"Oh, you must be tired!" she said.

"No," Sokka said, stretching and jogging in place. "I'm good. Refreshed and ready to fight some Fire Benders."

"I was talking to Appa."

"Well, I was talking to Momo."

"But nobody was talking to John I see," John said. "Great to know I'm with you guys. A valued member of the team, yeah." He was ignored for the most part, though Momo flew over and landed on his head. At least Momo cared.

They began climbing the path. The upward slope of the stone bridge was interrupted periodically with stairs. The tension was palpable, though John found the heat to be nice. After all the cold of winter, being in warmer climes was refreshing. Even if it meant possibly being shanked by the Fire Nation. Eventually, they arrived at the low outer wall surrounding the temple. The group dashed up the wall and crouched, peeking over - into an empty set of grounds.

"I don't see any guards," Sokka muttered.

"The Fire Nation must have abandoned the temple when Avatar Roku died," Katara said.

"Makes sense," John said. "The war takes up everything and this isn't a military facility."

Aang nodded. "It's almost sundown. We'd better hurry." With that, the young Air Bender leapt over the wall. John and the others followed suit, and they dashed to the temple, the sun setting all the while. They made it past the columns and into a hallway, and they just kept running. Suddenly John was glad for all those ROTC drills he'd run when he was in high school. He was keeping up without tiring out. But there wasn't very far to run, really, if he recalled rightly, and he did. They arrived shortly thereafter in what he would call the main sanctuary. It was octagonal, and had three other hallways were leading out from this room. There was little in the way of decoration here, aside from a pair of red lamps assigned to every gateway.

The silence seemed sacred. That and making a lot of noise would have gotten them in trouble. The group started to tiptoe through on the wooden floor. John looked around, trying to figure out the way to go, when Sokka stopped in mid tip.

"Wait. I think I heard something." John spun around, and there they were. Five old men, dressed in orange robes. And hats. And suddenly, the hats looked extremely retarded. _I mean, really_, John thought. _Who the hell decides to wear a hat like that? I can dig topknots and queues, but this? This is just stupid!_ He fought down a smirk just in time for him to realize that Aang and the Temple Guardians had been talking. And that meant…

A blast of heat and light approaching. Aang quickly took stance and spun, deflecting the fireballs. "I'll hold them off. Run!" John took off after Katara and her brother, the sounds of fighting quickly fading. Now they were in a hallway suffused with the red light of torches. And though John had never realized it from the show, this pagoda was very confusing if you didn't know where you were going. It hadn't looked that big, but these hallways just seemed endless, and they couldn't go back to the middle, not with the guardians.

Still, somehow John just knew they were screwed up somehow. This was evidenced when they turned a corner only to find Aang running straight toward them.

"Follow me!"

"Do you know where you're going?"

"Nope!" He disappeared around another corner. The three were about to follow when Aang burst back around the corner. "Wrong way!" John glimpsed orange before he turned and ran after the young Avatar. He heard the sage shouting something, but he was so lost in the sound of his heartbeat that he didn't even think of it. Corner, corner, corner, dead end-

"Balls," John growled. They all spun to find the Sage standing before them.

"I don't want to fight you. I am a friend," the man said, his voice slow. John took up stance alongside the others, hands up and feet spaced.

"Fire Benders aren't our friends," Sokka said, fists up. John watched the sage take a careful step before dropping to his knees and bowing. _Oh yeah_, he thought, lowering his hands. _I forgot_.

---

"What's he up to, Uncle? Why didn't Commander Zhao arrest me?"

"Because he wants to follow you. He knows you'll lead him to the prize you're both after: the Avatar."

"If Zhao wants to follow our trail of smoke, then that's exactly what I'll let him do."

Ryan admired the setting sun.

---

Down in the temple's secret passages, the heat was much more insistent. The stone was warm, and the glowing flow of magma was sufficient light. John was amazed that a single person could do all of this on his own, carving a place of his own out of the living rock.

He walked along behind the others, most of Shyu's explanation drowned out by his apathy. John simply didn't care about what the guy was talking about. It was all kinds of deep talk of spiritual connection and glowing eyes and how the sages had lost their place and how it was all so very sad. _Cry me a river, you emo sage! And lose the hat!_

"We'll follow these stairs up to the sanctuary," Shyu said. "Once you're inside, wait for the light to hit Avatar Roku's statue. Only then will you be able to speak with him." John climbed the stairs with the others, up and up and up. How in the world was a staircase like this hid, that's what John wanted to know. It wasn't like people wouldn't notice a huge column that seemingly went nowhere. Up ahead, Shyu stopped suddenly and seemed to do something with the ceiling. A crack of light appeared, and John suddenly remembered that they had climbed out of the floor. And this was where they'd find…

"No!" Shyu gasped as the others climbed out. John looked around, trying to see the problem, and spotted the gates. They were a sight to see, all right. Tall and made of metal, and with five coiling lions wrought upon them, made to look as if they might somehow come alive at any time. They were _big_ lions too, big enough to make a man look like a mouse.

"Shyu, what's wrong?" Aang asked.

John sighed. "The doors are closed, dude. And Shyu can't open it all on his own, can you?"

"No. I can only do one blast of fire. It'd take an a fully-realized Avatar to open this door alone."

"Five fire blasts, huh?" Sokka's expression suddenly lit up, and John noticed a lantern flare above his head. He fought the urge to slap his palm to his forehead.

---

With the sun setting and with the island drawing ever closer, Zuko had decided on his plan. And Ryan didn't have any objection to it - until he realized that Zuko meant to go alone. That just wouldn't do, not if Ryan was going to his job. Besides, he had to be there to make sure that everything would happen as it was supposed to. A small part of him was talking about how, if he really cared, he wouldn't go at all, but Ryan wasn't listening. The bigger truth was that he knew there might be an opportunity to see exactly who had been brought through with him. Might even be his brother. He couldn't let this opportunity pass.

Ryan ran to the aft of the ship and found a smaller boat being loaded down into the water. Zuko was at the helm, his face grimly taut. "Prince Zuko!" Ryan shouted down.

The prince looked up. "Ryan, I can't afford to take people with me. I have to do this alone."

"Of course you do. And I'm going with you."

Zuko's eye twitched, Ryan could see it. "Ryan, I'm ordering you. Stay behind."

"Nephew, what exactly are you planning?" Iroh called down mildly. Ryan blinked. The man could have materialized from the smoke for all he knew.

"Zhao wants to follow my smoke? He can have it. You head north, while I use it as a cover."

Iroh stroked his beard in thought. "You realize, though, that the sages of the temple are loyal to your father? If they catch you, they will take you."

"I know where you're going with this. Bringing more people just increases my chances of getting caught!"

"One more person won't make that big a difference," Iroh said. "And two heads are always better than one."

Without waiting for Zuko to respond, Ryan leapt down to the lowering ship. Zuko glared at him. "My Prince," Ryan said, refusing to lower his eyes, "please allow me to do my duty."

The battle of wills only lasted a moment before Zuko scowled. "Fine. But you will do exactly as ordered, understood?"

"Yes, my Prince."

---

John looked as the small sacks were filled with oil. Honestly, his dad would have been perfect for something like this. Blowing things up was a specialty that seemed to run in the family, near as he could figure. Hell, he was going into the marines. _He_ knew enough about explosives as it was to make this work.

"So where'd you learn this?" he asked.

"I picked it up from my father. You seal the lamp oil in an animal skin casing. Shyu lights the oil-soaked twine, and tada! Fake Fire Bending!"

"You've really outdone yourself this time, Sokka," Katara said.

"Yeah," John said. "Out of your mind, more like."

"Oh, shut up! It's gonna work!" Sokka spluttered. He grabbed a few sacks of oil up in his arms, and John sigh-fully picked up the other two. Once placed, John stepped back. Way back. When he was behind the columns, it felt about right.

"The Sages will hear the explosions, so as soon as they go off, you rush in," Shyu said.

"It's almost sunset," Katara said, turning to Aang. "Are you ready?"

"Definitely."

John casually leaned back behind the column and looked at the wall. He already knew how this would work. Seconds later a loud booming echoed in the chamber. John smelt smoke. He turned around just in time to see Aang rush the doors and pull futilely.

"Nice job, Sokka. Apparently you couldn't convince the door."

Sokka slapped a palm to his forehead. "Oh, like you could do a better job! Why didn't it work?"

"I don't know! That's your job, remember?"

Aang walked back, head hung. "Guys, I'm sorry about all this. I put you through this for nothing."

Sokka stalked over to the doors and ran his finger over the soot in the lion's mouth. "I just don't get it. That blast looked as strong as any Fire Bending I've seen."

Katara's eyes suddenly lit up. "Sokka! You're a genius!"

"Hey," John said, "being an ass is my job, not yours."

"No, I'm serious!"

"I don't get it," Aang said.

"Sokka's plan may not have worked. But it looks like it did."

---

Elle walked up the stairs of the temple. She had never been good at climbing or hiding or anything that couldn't be learned from books, but she had managed to get off the ship without much trouble by jumping off the gangplank and wading in the shadow water. Of course, holding voluminous skirts around her knees wasn't the most pleasant experience but she would manage. She had to find Avatar Roku and Aang and demand they send her home.

As she walked into the temple, she marveled at the dark and beautiful architecture that seemed to echo the volcano it was built in. She had to admit, she wished she could live in a place like this. Even her wonderful bedroom didn't have carved magma as a decoration. Still, be it ever so humble, there was no place like home. Home, land of indoor plumbing, kosher food and the internet, she was coming soon. 

As she was lost in her reveries, she didn't hear the footsteps behind her. "There you are!" A cruel voice shouted, as Elle felt her arm grabbed and twisted hard behind her back. 

"Stop it, you are hurting me," Elle protested as she tried to apply a martial arts maneuver Azula had taught her.

The attacker easily brushed her off and gripped her securely. "Make one move and I'll roast you like the goose you are," continued the voice as her arm was yanked harder, making tears come to her eyes. 

"Please, I'm not…" Elle whispered, as she noticed the Fire Sage out of her peripheral vision. He was about to break her arm off, and she wasn't a threat. 

"Quiet, girl. You're a friend of the Avatar, an enemy of the Fire Lord," the Sage hissed, giving Elle another hard yank, which had the presumed seer seeing stars and yelping in pain. "And you are coming with me."

-

When Ryan and Zuko had weighed anchor, they had had to take a longer and more treacherous road than Ryan remembered in the show. Of course, it figured that Zuko would have to go through the rough. All of his emotastic quoting from Chapter 20 came to mind, and Ryan shook his head in mirth. Despite the narrowness of the road as it traveled up the cliff, and the constant blowing of the wind, they managed to make it up and in.

Once inside the temple, Zuko had turned and muttered, "We'll split up. The Avatar won't be here for long, so we have to find him quickly. You look that way, I'll go this way. If you find him, detain him."

"Will we leave when the sun's done setting?"

"Yes. Come on, let's go."

Which was how Ryan found himself dashing through the halls, looking for the Avatar. After all, who knew? This was when the barrier between the worlds was supposed to weaken, wasn't it? Maybe they could slip back home and leave the Avatar's world to fix itself.

He heard some sounds up ahead and flattened himself against the wall. Edging closer and peeking around the corner, he saw a Fire Sage with a girl in his grip. And that voice sounded so familiar, very high-pitched. Familiar in its way. _Odd_, he thought. _It sounds… I dunno. Peppy somehow. Pink, even. Yeah, that's it. … wait…_ He looked around the corner.

_Elle_? Yes, yes it was - and the Fire Sage was hurting her. Well, that certainly wouldn't do. Without thinking, Ryan dashed from around the corner and bore down on the priest. The sound of Ryan's feet slapping the paneled floor was the only warning the priest had. He looked up - and there was Ryan's hand. Ryan hooked the man's chin and pushed up. Between the leverage and the momentum, the Sage flew up, and crashed down. He didn't get up.

Ryan turned to look at Elle. Yes, it really was her. "Elle!" he said, while she said "Ryan!" and the two embraced. It was good to see her again.

They pulled away from each other after a moment, and Ryan looked at her. "Elle, what are you doing here?" he asked. Somehow, the thought of Elle ditching class and coming to the Avatar world was rather unlikely. The girl had a nervous breakdown over a B+.

"I don't know! One minute I was in your apartment and the next I was looking Azula in the face!" Elle said, rubbing her shoulder. "She's not as bad as I thought she would be."

"I see. So the show lies, and she's really a nice girl." Ryan was starting to wonder if Elle had read the definition of Stockholm syndrome.

"Oh, no. She's scary and evil and cruel, but… well, she let me live," Elle said, glaring at the Fire Sage.

"Live and prosper, by the look of it." Ryan had a feeling Elle's new wardrobe was a recent addition.

"Hey, you want to wear a girdle?" Elle glared, folding her arms with her usual glare.

"Not particularly."

"Thank you." She paused, and took a better look at him. "Hey, you are looking pretty decent. You've actually been working out. You went from geek to good."

Ryan flushed slightly. "Well, thank you. And girdle aside, that gown actually seems to suit you. Have you been all right?" He cringed inside - she'd probably been better than all right, but he'd just met her again. But she didn't look at him weirdly for it.

"Pretty much. Besides that jerk, no one has hurt me. There's the boredom, but I'm okay. And you? Are you safe and eating right?" she asked, going into Mother Hen mode. Ryan was wondering when she would make sure he was doing his laundry on time.

"Well, Zuko's got me playing bodyguard. He treats me well. I dunno about being safe necessarily, but hey. Can't have it all, right?"

"We're stuck in another dimension, we got to take what we can get. Still. It is good to see you again." Elle said, giving him a wide smile.

"And you." Ryan suddenly had a flash of a brilliant idea. "Hey," he said, "come with me. We've got Roku and Aang here, and it's the Solstice. Maybe we can figure out a way to get out of here."

Elle arched an eyebrow. "Oh? And how did you plan to do that?" she said in an amused tone.

"Well, you could come with me, and I could protect you…" Ryan was wondering why the idea seemed so much more intelligent in his mind.

Elle's smirk spoke volumes. "Oh, so _now_ you're Prince Charming? You couldn't even get it right back home, and you want to play hero now?" she drawled.

"Well, um." Ryan fumbled. "I mean, it's gotta be worth a shot, right?"

"Ryan, look. Zhao has warships. Lots of 'em. If he wants me back, he'll get me back."

Ryan was about to say that if a group of kids on a buffalo could keep on the lamb, Zhao couldn't be that good; but the tromping of boots stopped him. Ryan stiffened in surprise as a troop of men in armor and spears turned a corner and rushed. He considered running, but they arrived so quickly and surrounded as only professional soldiers could.

"Lady seer! Thank goodness you're all right!" one said, glaring at Ryan as if he was a bug in their stew. "We were so worried when you disappeared."

Ryan blinked as Elle looked at the men, as if this were totally normal. "I'm fine. Release this man. He's done no wrong," she said in an imperious tone that most college students did not find normal.

"What?" the head officer spoke up, his spear unwavering. "This man was going to kidnap you! We heard it?"

"Elle?" Ryan asked. "What's going on here? 'Lady seer'?" How the heck did Elle manage to convince people she was royalty? Ryan didn't have to ask why.

"What do you think?" Ryan was about to answer, but then he looked at her a little more carefully. She was still shorter than he was, and her eyes were still pretty and blue, but that was where old Elle ended. Her brown hair had been beaten into a braid, and was she wearing makeup? Yes, she was, and a lot of it too - eyes shadowed, a powdered face and her lips were red. Her red gown denoted a higher class. She looked like a noblewoman.

The first thing he thought to say was, "You really don't look like a rabbinical student anymore."

"You don't sound intelligent either, but that's not a surprise."

Despite his circumstances, Ryan laughed. "For what it's worth, it really is good to see you again."

"Lady, do you know this man?" the soldier asked again, his voice tingling with annoyance.

"Of course I do," Elle said. "I saw him in a vision. I knew he would help me."

"Everyone, please calm down," Ryan said with a grin as he stepped over to her.. "I'm not gonna hurt her or anything, really!" With that, he put his arms around her shoulder in the typical gesture of buddy-hood.

"Seize him!" the guard shrieked. "He's attacking the Seer!" Elle shaking her head was the last thing Ryan saw before they came for him.

---

John had stayed hid when the Fire Sages had come around. He listened to their talk of how Aang was obviously inside. He had to admit it, Katara's idea had been a stroke of something or other that was smart. He stayed hid as the Sages blasted the doors. There was a loud creaking as the doors shuddered open. John saw the light shining from the opening casting shadows all along the wall, and took a certain satisfaction that his could not be seen.

"It's the Avatar's lemur!" one of the Sages cried. "He must have crawled through the pipes! We've been tricked!" John whirled around the corner and tackled a sage, grateful for all those rugby games. He heard shouts of encouragement as the Sage shook his head, but then he heard Zuko's voice. And that was when he realized that he was on top of an experienced martial artist who probably knew how to ground-fight as well as the teachers back home.

This quickly proved to be the case. John didn't quite remember exactly what the man did, but he did remember a hand getting free before his vision went dark. He came to, perhaps a moment later, feeling something hard digging into his arms and chest. He shook his head to clear his vision, and he heard words that bore no meaning to him. Katara's shout of "Go!" snapped him closer to wakefulness, letting him see that, firstly he was chained and secondly that he was chained next to Katara. He shook his head a bit more and looked just in time to see Aang sail through the closing doorway. A great white light shone from behind the doors.

John watched Zuko and the sages take up Fire Bending stances, before stepping and thrusting their fists forward. The Lion's Heads received the flames, but nothing happened.

"Why isn't it working?" Zuko seethed. "It's sealed shut." John wanted to comment that his mastery of the obvious was astounding, but he wasn't interested in getting in _that_ much trouble. Especially given what was coming. John watched as one of the Sages stalked off and returned with Shyu, hands bound and forced to his knees.

"Why did you help the Avatar?" Zuko demanded.

Shyu met the Prince's glare with calm and said, "Because it was once the Sage's duty. It is still our duty."

John heard the sound of a lone pair of hands clapping. He twisted his head about to try and find it, and there it was, coming from down the hall. Zhao. Tall and intimidating in his armor - though, really, John was taller. The man had a squad of Fire Benders with him, if the masks were any indication, but there were two extra people that weren't supposed to be there. One was too tall with curly hair and glasses. The other was about the right height, but the clothes didn't match the eyes.

_Fuck me_, John thought. What were Ryan and Elle doing here?

"You're too late, Zhao," Zuko said, struggling against the guard that had him from behind. "The Avatar's inside and the doors are sealed."

Zhao smirked. "No matter. Sooner or later, he has to come out." John watched as Zuko and Ryan were forced over to the column next to he and the others. Ryan seemed just as surprised to see John as John was to see him, and he made no struggles as he was bound with chains.

The two regarded each other silently as the guards turned their attention to the door, but as they set themselves up, Ryan said, "Well."

"This is your fault somehow."

"What?"

John shook his head. "You heard me. This. Is. Your. Fault."

"What? How the hell is us being here and chained _my_ fault?"

"The fact that you don't understand just goes to show that it's your fault."

Ryan chuckled. "So let me guess. You've been all right."

John did his best to shrug. "Meh. I've been better. Being in chains with a girl has its perks, but it's not like I can _do_ anything." Elle twitched, but her eyes were on Zhao right now, and she stayed quiet.

"Huh?" Katara asked. "What are you talking about?"

"Oh, nothing."

"Do you know that guy?"

"Yeah, he's my brother."

"What, you've got a brother here?" Sokka asked.

"Yeah. And…" John took a closer look. Ryan was dressed in red vest and red pants that resembled the gi pants they wore back in the kung fu school. And while he didn't care that much if he made trouble for his brother, he knew that Sokka would freak out, and drawing attention wasn't on the list of good things to do in this situation.

"Ryan," John started, trying to figure out a subtle way to ask. "Are you…" _with the Fire Nation?_ he wanted to ask. Ryan managed to pick it up.

"Yeah," he said, and he had the grace to look sheepish.

"Great. Swell. Way to fuck it up. How the hell are we gonna get out of here?"

"I don't know," Ryan said quietly. "I thought we were going to get to talk to Roku, but that doesn't look too likely now."

"Fail, Ryan. Fail! How the hell do you manage to fail so much?"

"Stop it, both of you!" Elle hissed. "Don't get too loud. If Zhao hears you, there'll be trouble!"

"Jesus Buddy Christ," John growled, "Are you everywhere?"

"Well it's nice to see you too," Elle said. "But if you want to get out of this alive, I suggest you shut up. I'm trying to figure out a way to save your miserable lives and keep you from the chopping block, so cut it out."

"It wasn't miserable before _you_ showed up," John said, but his voice was lower nonetheless.

"Do I have to help him?" Elle asked Ryan, rolling her eyes.

Ryan looked up in thought. "Not really? Um, no, Roku's gonnna bust us loose pretty soon."

"I know. I'm just hoping he'll bust us home too."

"Yeah," John said. "Code Geass episodes are still coming out. No way in hell I'm missing out on that."

A sudden light shone from the door. Everyone turned to look back as the door as it began to open, smoke pouring through the crack. John could feel Katara and Sokka struggling against the chains, could hear Katara shout "No! Aang!"

"Fire!" John watched fire stream from the hands of the Fire Benders toward the entrance. The flames, however, didn't really end so much as coalesce into a sphere of flame. It opened up wider, and John could see Avatar Roku standing there, glowing blue and glaring fierce. The sphere seemed to collapse for a second before blowing it back outwards. John felt the chains fall off of him as the Fire Benders were knocked down.

Now how to approach Roku…

He heard Ryan swear. "Roku!" he shouted. "Can't you get us back home? We won't damage the timeline anymore if you just-" Roku struck the floor, rending it in two. He pulled his hands up.

John knew what was coming and quickly backed away. Ryan shouted, "Dammit, run! John! Make sure that whatever has to happen, happens!"

John didn't have any time to question it before magma burst through the floor and out through the roof. When the flow receded, Elle and Ryan were gone.

"Avatar Roku's going to destroy the temple! We have to get out of here!"

"Not without Aang!" Katara cried. John's pulse raced as he ran to hide behind another pillar. Katara and Sokka soon joined him, and they peeked out from behind to see the Avatar's spirit take a deep breath. He pushed his hands down, and suddenly all the smoke in the room poured onto him. John felt a breeze, and when the smoke dissipated, Aang was standing in the entryway, his eyes glowing. With a quiet groan, he sank to the floor. They all ran over to the boy's side.

"You all right?" John asked.

"I'm fine," Aang said from where he was struggling to his feet. "Where's Shyu?"

"I don't know." They got Aang to his feet and made a dash for the stairs. Orange molten stone was their answer. They ran back the other way, toward what looked to be an opening blown in the wall, but when they got there they could see no way down. The temple seemed to be sinking, and the only thing waiting for them was fiery lava. John grimaced - what were they going to do now?

Just then, something huge and white and furry came into his view. John blinked as Appa zoomed in, and without thinking they all slid down one of the eaves to drop on to Appa's back. When he had them, the bison quickly turned and zoomed away as fast as he could.

---

Elle braced herself as Zhao stared off after the Flying Bison. This was not one of the man's shining moments. Unfortunately for her, she was one of the blemishes.

"No Princee. No Avatar. Apparently the only thing I do have is five traitors," Zhao seethed.

"But Commander," the Chief Sage objected. "Only Shyu helped the Avatar."

"Save your stories for the Fire Lord. As far as I'm concerned, you're all guilty! Take them to the prison hold!"

Elle did manage to feel sorry for most of the Sages. There was that one who'd nearly dislocated her arm. _He_ could go to face Ozai for all she cared. But then Zhao rounded on her and she forgot every other concern.

"And _you_," he growled. "What were you doing in the Temple?"

"I was seeking to commune with Avatar Roku," Elle said, speaking slow and thinking quick.

"Commune? About what?"

"My sight… it seems to have been blocked. That's why I couldn't tell you about what the Avatar would do. Everything was gray, and I hoped to find an answer."

"The only _communing_ I saw you do was with that slave and that peasant," Zhao said dryly. "What were you discussing with them?"

Elle felt a tremor in her hands and forced them to be still. "Nothing important."

"I'm sure the Princess would love to know the juicy details."

"We can answer that, sir." Elle turned to see the group of guards stepping forward. None of them looked particularly joyous at giving their news. The one in the front said, "The slave was trying to kidnap her. We stopped it. I can only imagine that she sought to interrogate them both."

"On what!" Zhao snapped.

"On what Prince Zuko was doing in Fire Nation waters," Elle said quickly. "I didn't believe he could be so foolish as to violate his exile simply for the Avatar's sake. I wished to learn more, that I might better serve my Princess."

Zhao scowled at this, but he seemed satisfied. "Very well. You will return to your quarters, and as for _you_," he said, turning to the guards. "You were all put in charge of watching over her, and you have all failed. You will all be flogged within an inch of your lives, and will go two days without rations."

Elle gasped, bringing her hands up to her mouth. What? But… no, no, this wasn't right! These men had tried to save her. They didn't deserve to be punished like this. How could Zhao do such a thing? "It wasn't their fault! They saved me from being kidnapped and they got me out of the temple unharmed. They should be rewarded for saving Princess's Azula's handmaiden." she protested, trying to name drop artfully.

Zhao turned back to her, a hard smile on his face. "What danger you were in. Perhaps they deserve worse for allowing you off the ship. After all, you would have been safe in your room. For such failure, I imagine the princess would have them executed." He had won and he knew it. "Would you prefer that?"

Elle shook her head, feeling sick to her stomach. "Of course not," she said helplessly. 

"Be grateful that I am feeling merciful at the moment. Perhaps you won't be so quick to leave my protection in the future. I don't take kindly to repeat failure. You may leave. I won't make you watch it." He gestured to the guards to take her, and Elle numbly fell in step.

---

"You knew those people." Ryan didn't flinch at the accusatory tone in Zuko's voice as they sailed away from the island.

"Yes, my Prince."

"Explain yourself."

Ryan looked at Zuko. "It's simple. You remember that I come from another world, correct?"

"What about it?"

"It seems, my Prince, that others have fallen through with me. Those people I was speaking with are other people like me. From my world."

"What are they doing here?" Zuko demanded. "Why do all these people come from _your_ world?"

"I honestly don't know," Ryan answered. Honestly, people ought to know better than just to walk into his apartment like that. "One of them was my brother, and the other was my friend. We were hoping Avatar Roku would send us back to our place."

"But he didn't."

"That he didn't." Ryan tried to figure out _why_ Roku hadn't sent them back, tried to approach the scenario as best he could. Zuko seemed content enough for now to just steer the boat, leaving Ryan to his thoughts. In the end, Ryan decided that the only real explanation was that it was Aang acting with Roku's form, and that Aang hadn't had any idea of sending them home.

It didn't make much sense, but that was all he could make of it. He stretched as the shadows grew longer. Hopefully sleep would make it clearer.

---

As the moonlight shone down, John knew he should be answering questions about how he'd known some tall stranger from the Fire Nation. But all he could do right now was sit near Aang and try to provide comfort as the weight of the world bore down on him.

---

Kishi: And, I guess that's a wrap. At this hour of the morning, heck, I'll take it.

Avatar: The Last Airbender is copyrighted to Bryan Konietzko and Michael DiMartino.

Ryan and John are entirely too retarded to be made up. No, really, they're real people!

Special thanks to Savitri for transcription work, and to all the staff at AvatarSpirit dot net. This project would be so much worse without you!

Special thanks to Hotspur-sensei for her thoughts and insights on writing, and her participation in this chapter.


	10. Chapter 10

-1Kishi: All right, I just gotta give a shout-out to Sapphire Warg. She just got confirmed, and she's on my list of cool people. Congratulations!

---

Kyoudai

Chapter 10

---

Riding late into the night and through most of the day, John had arrived at the conclusion that the series didn't handle the whole transition of time thing very well. He'd assumed that the next day, Aang would start right in on his angst about how he was unprepared for what was coming his way, but they hadn't had time. They'd camped out at a small island that first night and had spent most of the rest of the day flying out of the Fire Nation. John was still content to keep his quiet. He really wanted to talk to Katara, but everyone was tense, watching for Fire Nation ships and getting ready to move. He'd kept his eyes peeled his own self, but they'd made it out with little incident.

_Now_, the second day after the temple, Aang was pacing, and John thought it was about fucking time. The boy started freaking out, and they talked. As John predicted, they spoke the words they were meant to say, without his interference. He had to admit it was actually cool to see everything playing out right in front of him. Like TV in the 3D.

"Maybe we can find a puddle for you to splash in," Sokka said smugly as John tuned into the conversation.

John casually looked over the side of the basket. "How 'bout that one down there?" he asked. Katara and Aang peered over his side and saw what he saw - a river weaving its way through the forest. There was even a nearby waterfall.

"It looks great!" Katara said. "Sokka, can you take us down?"

"What? Oh, fine," Sokka groused. Apparently he'd been hoping for the puddle. As they descended to the river, though, John could see it was one hell of a puddle. It really was a beautiful scene, perfect as only a Korean animator could manage to make it.

"Nice puddle," Sokka said.

"Thanks," John said, grinning as Appa splashed into the water. John knew that the division of tasks was coming, and he froze. _Stay still. Don't move. They can't see you if you don't move._

"John, what would you like to do?"

He swore to himself. They'd set him to a task of some kind, he knew it. He was working his way through a reasonable excuse, something involving an allergy to work, when it occurred to him. This was _that_ episode. The one with the scroll. The one that he knew for sure had the Single Whip passing itself off as the Water Whip. And if his techniques could work here then maybe-

He swore again. He hated Benders in this show. For that matter, he hated the whole gimmick of 'normal person with x difference making all the difference in the world.' He didn't want to be one of those people. But he was curious now, and there was only one way to really figure out if it was true.

---

It was a good day. The sun was shining, the breeze was blowing, and Ryan was getting the whupping of his life.

The jet of flame was burning through the air toward him. Ryan quickly thrust his fist up through the flames, feeling heat coursing along his arms. The fire dissipated in front of him. Ryan fought the urge to check and see if his arm had been scoured by the fire.

He was familiar with the mechanics of the drill. They'd done it in the kwoon back home. One person played the part of offense, and the other played nothing but defense. Zuko had decided to take the part of offense first - "the best defense is a good offense" he'd said - and Ryan had to admit, the philosophy seemed to hold. Ryan _tried _to counter the advance somehow, but it seemed the only chance he had was those brief moments when Zuko paused. He wasn't sure if Zuko was just making mistakes or if it was a genuinely well-meant gesture.

He ducked below another blast of flames before the world tilted beneath him. Both Ryan and Zuko pitched along the deck to the port side before slamming into the metal wall. The show had never really made it clear how much that hurt.

"Someone's changing our course!" Zuko said. Ryan didn't say a word as Zuko left, but he heaved a sigh of relief. A breath would be good. He wasn't afraid so much as weary.

As he began to shadowbox, weaving around the deck, a part of his mind reflected back to the events in the temple. So those were the two who had ended up in the Avatar's world, along with him. At least, those were the two he knew about. If the machine was that accessible, there was no telling who else would sneak through. If more people came through, the hole would get bigger. He hadn't observed any real changes in the world yet, though, and he meant to keep it that way. Still, though, it had been good seeing Elle and John both. He hadn't had a chance to tell Elle, yet, about changing the world or not. That could lead to problems down the road. He was pretty sure she hadn't meant any harm inventing lingerie like that, but still.

'_Yeah, Ryan, that's _real _unreasonable. Trying to advance the world and do good! How could I ever live with myself?_' he could hear her asking. He shook his head and continued the drill. At least John would listen. John was lazy. He didn't have anything to gain in this world, really. If he didn't have to expend effort, he wouldn't. It was Ryan's fortune that it was so simple as that.

He felt heat at his back and spun to deflect. As the ball of fire flew off to the side, Ryan could see Zuko with a controlled, livid look about him. Ryan grinned and settled into a Cat stance. So _this_ was how the Prince dealt with stress.

---

John watched Sokka scrubbing Appa's toes, and couldn't find it in him to envy the young man all that much. His attention was more on Katara right now, though, watching as she explained to Aang the principle of the push-and-pull. He heard her talk about how the trick was in the wrist, and he suppressed a groan. No, it wasn't in the wrist. Taiji was all about relaxation and the shift of bodyweight. There was no 'flick of the wrist' motion to this at all. The only trick involved with the wrists was keeping them relaxed.

He didn't say a word as Aang so easily picked up the trick. He was too busy concentrating. _It's easy. Shift and flow, shift and flow. That's all it is_. And just like that, John felt like he was moving some kind of weight. Well, no, that wasn't quite it, because it didn't feel heavy per se, but he just felt like he was moving something more. It was very strange, but pushing and pulling just felt like it was pushing and pulling something.

Aang gave a low whistle. "Hey, nice move, John! I didn't know you could Water Bend."

"Neither did I," Katara said. John dropped his arms and let the water sink, and saw that Katara's expression was a little less than amused.

"Neither did I," John said. He scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "It just… it kinda just happened."

"Just kind of happened, huh?" Katara said, giving him the Arched Eyebrow.

"I dunno how else to say it. I practice this stuff back where I come from."

"Oh," she said, and her face smoothed out. "So you were a Water Bender already then." She seemed relieved somehow, and given what was going to happen this episode, he could see why.

"Yeah. Something like that. But I could use some practice so, uh, you just keep on teaching and I'll follow along." There. That ought to keep it close to what was supposed to happen.

It seemed to satisfy Katara easily enough, and she turned back to Aang. "This is a more difficult move. I call it 'streaming the water.'" She lifted her arms to shoulder-height and pulled back in. A stream of water flowed out of the river and flew to her hands. John hummed in thought - it looked very similar to the opening move for Yang form. John cleared his mind of thought and drew his arms up. Water rose, and as John shifted his weight back it rushed to meet him.

It rushed a little too quickly, and suddenly he was soaked. John shook his head and rubbed the water from his eyes. He heard laughter, and looked to see Aang with a good-natured grin and Katara doing her best not to laugh.

"Told you I needed practice," John said, and he managed a grin. He lifted his arms and tried again. The water flowed to him this time and he was able to keep his control. He moved his arms in the Rolling the Ball pattern, and he was still amazed to see the water shifting in his hands. He put his hands together in the press move and shot the water back out into the river.

"Looks like you're getting the hang of it again," Katara said.

"Well, your style's a little different than mine," John said. This much was true. Yang style mixed with Emperor's Long Fist made for some differences, to be sure, but it wasn't anything unmanageable.

"So, what's next?" Aang asked.

"Well, I kinda know this one other move," Katara said. "It's hard, though. I haven't even totally figured it out yet. The idea is to create a big, powerful wave." Katara's face froze in concentration and she rose her hands as high as she could. Something resembling a wave in some loose way rose from the water, but it fell back. John could see the problem - no shifting of weight from Katara, just the arms. If he was going to practice the technique, though, he'd only have a little time. Aang would only do this once, and John didn't want to soak Sokka twice.

"So, like this?" Aang asked. John moved to mimic without thinking. He lowered his body then rose, moving his arms in unison. The resultant wave was absolutely tremendous. The wave rushed forward and consumed Appa.

Even though John knew there was a trip coming, and even though he knew he was at fault, and even though he hated Benders he had to admit it: there was something thrilling about being able to do this.

---

_Dearest and most beloved Mum and Dad,_

_I am not dead. I am merely trapped in a fictional world where I am said to be a Seer, an working for a dark Messiah named Princess Azula and am the prisoner of a crazed commander who threatens to have my guards executed if I try and pull rank. Two days ago, I snuck out to try and get home. Problem is, I got caught. I was marched back to my room like some dangerous prisoner. Zhao already had some of my men whipped and starved, which didn't exactly make me popular. If looks could kill, I'd have been wrapped in a prayer shawl on the Mount of Olives already. Actually, it is most likely only Princess Azula's orders that stands between me and being keel-hauled. _

_So yes, I will not be home for Sabbath dinner. I know, I'm grounded the minute I return. For life. And I don't care. I miss you so much, I just want to see you again, to kiss my nephew and tickle him, to see my friends, to eat normal food. I'll never call your cooking horrible again, Mum. Okay, I will but a lot less often._

_And if you makes you feel better, I'm grounded in this world. I'm locked in my room and I have to send that accursed Zhao, may he grow like an onion with his head in the ground, a message if I want to leave. I am marched around under heavy guard on deck and I have to thank that blaggard for the privilege. I'm the princess's handmaiden, I should darn well be able to do as I please._

_Otherwise, I'm just sitting in my room, with nothing to do. Not very hungry and haven't been sleeping well. No one talks to me. No one even looks at me when they bring me food. They just bring me my food and slam the door. I try to talk to them and they just ignore me. I am a stranger in a strange land. Such is exile. _

_Dad, you'll be pleased to know that I study by memory and I'm making good use of my time. The last two days, I practiced yoga, wrote poetry and stories from memory and recited my prayers and all the verses I can remember. I wrote them down the first day so I don't forget. _

_I don't have much paper left so I'll have to end. It's afternoon and the sun hits the other side of the ship. Writing by candlelight hurts my eyes. I could write forever though, I have so many silly things I want to say to you, but they all seem so meaningless now, so all I will say is,_

_All my love_

_Elle, your princess_

Elle sighed, kissed the letter and threw it into the fireplace. There was no mail service back to Earth. A knock disturbed her thoughts. "Come in," she answered, her voice hoarse from disuse.

A soldier walked in, carrying a tray. "Good morning, my lady," he said in a cheery tone. "I hope you slept well."

Elle smiled and nodded. "Yes," she lied, eager to be pleasant. "Thank you. I hope you did as well."

"My pleasure, my lady. Please enjoy your meal. It is native to my province," the soldier said. Something about his face seemed so familiar, where had she seen him before? Oh yes, he was one of the guards who had rescued her from the temple. Which meant…

"I hope you are doing well," Elle squeaked. He had suffered so much for her sake and he had made her such delicious food.

The soldier smiled. "I am fine, my lady. Please, try the food and tell me if it is to your satisfaction."

Elle took a spoonful of the flavorful soup and drank it up. "It's delicious," she said, eager to show him her appreciation for his kindness.

"I am glad. If you will excuse me, I have work to attend to. Please enjoy it," the soldier said, bowing out of the door.

Elle took a long sip and tried to enjoy the strange-tasting mixture. It wasn't half bad actually…

-

Elle was starting to notice that the walls were spinning around and around. It was a funny sight. They seemed to whirl around, turning different colors. The chair and the bed seemed to be… dancing with one another. Elle giggled at how adorable it was to see her furniture getting along.

She stood up and all of a sudden the ground was so very far down from her. She was dizzy for a moment, but for some reason the height didn't seem to bother her that much. She felt like she could see for miles and miles. She looked out the window, opened to let the breeze in, and it suddenly hit her that today was a perfect day for a swim. She could even hear her mother calling.

"Elle! It's Mum, come on out! The water's great!" she heard her mother call. What was her mother doing in the Avatar world? Maybe she'd needed a break from the neighbors!

Elle stumbled to her feet, feeling so very calm. "I'm coming, Mum!" she called, as she tried to leave the room, bumping into a chest and the door a few times. She could see for miles, but she covered them a lot quicker than she thought she would. As she opened the door, she saw some of her friends waiting for her. "Hi! Can you help me find my mum?"

Her friends just stared at her. "Seer, are you all right? Please, return to your rooms," they told her.

"I'm not a seer! I'm Ellie, Ellie Elle Elle…" she sing-songed, liking the sound of her name. 

"Seer, please calm down," one said, his voice sounding so strange. "You are not behaving normally."

"Normally? My Mum called me out to go swimming… Oh, there you are! Mother, you called for me?" Elle said, walking up to her mother and hugging her. Gosh, her mother must be wearing a lot of jewelry… all Elle could feel was metal.

"What is going on?" her mum said in the deepest voice. She must have a cold, that explained it.

"Mummy, come on. I'm your little girl, you asked for me. Now, why aren't you hugging me?" Elle asked, completely confused.

"Elle…come for a swim," she heard her father's voice say. "The water is beautiful."

"Come on, Mum, Dad's calling us," Elle said, racing up the stairs. She could hear the sea, the waves, the smell, it smelled like… chlorine… like a swimming pool.

And there was the diving board! Elle walked toward it, stumbling a bit - strange, like the ground was moving beneath her - but she'd make it soon and she could be with her parents again. She hadn't seen them in so long…

And then there were hands gripping her arms, pulling her back, voices shouting about a 'lunatic seer.' Why were they talking about a seer? Didn't her friends recognize her? "No!" she shouted as she was restrained. "Let me go! My parents are waiting for me! Mum! Dad! Let me go!"

---

The first thing John thought upon arriving in the port town was, _Mos Eisley spaceport. You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy_. He figured he would have to be cautious, and there were enough bad-ass type people running around here to warrant the warning. He hung around outside whilst everyone else was doing their shopping, keeping his eyes open and his gaze roving.

He had to admit, when Aang came out with the whistle and blew, he was half-expecting a noise of some kind. Momo seemed to be effected by it somehow, but John couldn't hear anything else. He found that strangely disappointing.

John knew the pirate ship when they wandered past it, but the group didn't pay it any mind except for when that strange guy in green with too many teeth ganked Aang. Then they had to follow. Walking up the gangplank and into the 'sales floor' on deck, John could see enough wares to make any oriental store owner stare with open envy. Most of the time, they had nothing but cheap brass knockoffs. But this stuff, _this_ was the genuine article. He was suddenly itching to get his hands on a sword. Something real that would cut that didn't require a once-a-year trip to an anime con for authenticity.

He had just started to go indepth with his investigation when he heard the bartering going on for the scroll. Dangit, not much time. Maybe he could gank a sword from these guys if he was quick. He looked closely - mostly dao, nothing really resembling a katana. The jian, however, were looking promising. He leaned in for a closer look, but when he felt a hand on his back he froze.

"We're leaving," Katara said.

"Sure thing," John said, standing and walking out casually with the others. They made their way down the gangplank, and he felt an excited trembling take him. Any minute the chase was going to start…

"Hey you! Get back here!" the barker shouted.

"Well, well," Aang drawled. "Look who's come to their senses. Told ya the haggling would pay off."

John swore as pirates poured out of the ship, carrying a wide assortment of pointy things he didn't want to be touched with. He tried to flashback to this episode, remembering anything he could to make this easier somehow, but all that was coming up was that cabbage man. That and the whole escape via glider.

And that it had been tricky enough with only Aang and the others. Which meant… aw, dammit. He'd have to split up from them. Wouldn't _that_ be fun. He hated running. But as the pirates charged, he whirled and ran anyway. His mind raced faster than his legs were. How to time it was the question, really, he thought as he rounded a corner. Though, actually, that wouldn't be all too terrible. If he just waited until the second group caught up with them, that would be everything he needed.

Stalls passed him in a blur as he mindlessly followed the gang. He made sure to be good and ahead of Aang as the Cabbage Man came into view. Katara passed on the right, Sokka on the left, John on the right, and Aang pulling his free-running trick of jumping straight through. The turned around the next corner they found only to find the next group of pirates waiting for them. John immediately backpedaled and ran the other way, far and ahead of everyone else. He heard a pirate say something about lemurs and nine lives, but if it was significant he didn't remember. John turned a blind corner to find a dead end. That was right, this was where they were going to pull their big escape. But he couldn't get on the glider with them.

But as he drew closer to the wall, it burst in his mind. The idea. He was six feet tall, about a foot taller than everyone else in this place. The walls had been made for people who as a rule were much shorter than he was. It couldn't be more than six and half or seven feet tall, tops. He could vault that thing easy. John kicked into a dash at the wall without another thought on the subject, leaping as he got closer to the wall. His hands caught the low overhang and his inertia did the rest. He catapulted up onto the top and without thinking jumped down onto the other side, rolling with the impact.

John shook his head and let the shaking in his arms subside. He hadn't thought he'd be able to do that. But at least Katara and everyone else had been able to escape. And all the pirates were on the wrong side of the wall. If he got started now they wouldn't be able to catch him. As he turned to run, John heard a voice shouting, "One of them's on the other side! We can still catch him!"

"Good luck with that!" John shouted as he began running. He'd barely made it two steps, though, when he heard a shout of exertion. He spun around to find the barker leaping down from the walltop. A scene flashed in his mind of the barker being able to leap as high as a man was tall. John shook his head. "Son of a _bitch_," he said. "You really don't know how to quit, do you?"

"Your friends may have gotten away," the barker said, "but you'll not be so lucky. You're not getting away."

John grinned. "You haven't caught me yet." He turned to run - only to find the other two pirates waiting for him. Their weapons were drawn, and they had the advantages of numbers and experience. But John had training. And he was getting more experienced. And if he went balls-to-the-walls with these guys he knew he'd have a shot of getting free. At least, he hoped so. He shook his head and gasped a sharp, throaty half-a-laugh. "Fine! Bring it!"

The fight was short.

---

Opening her eyes was hard. She was so tired. In fact, Elle couldn't remember why she was feeling so sore. "Mum, skipping class today, I think I have a fever," she muttered as she tried to move her hand to rub her eyes. "Make me some tea, stat."

Her hand wasn't moving. Elle yanked at her hand, but something was keeping her from moving, something that felt cold and…

Elle opened one eye and tried to yank again. Her arms were chained above her head, she couldn't see to what. And her feet were restrained in the same way. If she was waking up tied up in some strange bed, there had better be a wedding ring on her finger and a down payment on a townhouse too!

"Ah, you are awake. Can you hear me?" a calm voice asked, as Elle opened her other eye, wondering how she was going to explain this to her mother? She was unable to even lift her head up, so tightly bound was her limbs.

"Am I in a hospital?" she pleaded, hoping it wasn't something worse, she could think of so many ways that this could be bad.

"Yes, you are. I'm glad to see you are so alert," the voice said, as Elle pondered why a hospital would have her restrained. What kind of hospital was this? And why wouldn't someone move into sight? Elle could only see what was above her face, even trying to look forward was impossible!

"Can you call my mother? I can give you the number. What time is it? If it's really late, you should call her home phone, she turns off her cell around eight," Elle said, as she tried to focus on the voice.

"I see you are still hallucinating. Don't worry, you will be fine soon, you just have to sweat out the toxins," a young-looking man said, finally appearing in Elle's frame of vision. He was dressed in red Asian styled robes, with a bun on the top of his head.

Elle pondered this with great alarm as she stared up at him. "Why aren't you wearing scrubs? Is it Halloween? And is that hair sanitary? And what hospital is this? Can I get kosher food?" she demanded. "And why am I chained up? Do you know the definition of the world malpractice?"

"That traitor must have really dosed you up, my lady. Just lie back and relax, you are safe. Hopefully, you'll regain your mind without much more delirium. But if you are hungry, I can have food brought to you," the man said in a soothing tone.

At the words, "my lady", Elle's foggy memories split like the Reed Sea before her ancestors. Avatar world…Azula…Zhao…damn it to Hades. She didn't know how she had gotten into the hospital. "Thank you, that would be most agreeable," she said softly. "And if you would untie me, that would be even more appreciated."

"I can't, my lady. You might try to hurt yourself again," the Fire Nation man said with a sigh. "You gave us all a scare."

Elle racked her brains and silently apologized to her inner feminist. "Sir, you are taller and far more muscular than I. Surely, chains aren't required for someone as small and helpless as myself. I assure you, I was merely a tad foggy from my experience, but I am in no way a threat to myself or others. Just please untie my hands so I might sit up and speak to you properly. I can't go anywhere without my feet, and I could never get passed someone as strong as you." God damn it, she hated begging.

The doctor stared down at her, looking as if he was trying to avoid laughing. "How do I know you aren't delusional? Most noblewomen of the Nation would prefer being tortured to admitting they were weak."

Elle glared at him. "I'm chained to a bed, flat on my back and my options are limited," she hissed up at him, her pride wounded.

"Well, that is true. Perhaps you can set my mind at ease by answering a few questions, allowing me to see how lucid you are," the doctor said gently. "I really don't enjoy seeing my patients shackled. So, what can you remember?"

"I was eating and then…I'm here," she mumbled, trying to figure out how she had gotten in this situation. "And you are?"

"Doctor Jannai of the house of Shri, your most humble servant. And well…you were hallucinating and tried to jump overboard. You…acted in a most strange manner, and so we brought you back here."

Elle blushed. "So I basically humiliated myself? Joy," she muttered dryly. "Wait…why was I hallucinating?"

Doctor Jannai lowered his head. "If you don't know, it is not for me to say," he murmured softly. "The commander has ruled it a case of sea-sickness."

Elle's eyes narrowed. "Are you joking? I was not sea-sick. I have never been sea-sick, I have lived by the ocean for my entire life, gone boating, swimming, and rafting without even a complaint and you are telling me I went nuts enough to require a straight-jacket and it was just sea-sickness? Are you trying to be insolent?" she demanded, trying to summon as much dignity as possible. She had little enough at the moment.

"My lady, I…" Doctor Jannai mumbled, looking very worried at that comment. "I have to tend to the other patients. You rest up and I'll check back on you soon," he said, disappearing from her frame of vision again.

Elle closed her eyes and began hissing words in Hebrew and Yiddish that would have shamed her parents forever.

---

The weight of the satchels across Ryan's shoulders was growing heavier, but he didn't pay it that much mind. He had to admit, however, that Iroh had a talent for getting the most out of his resources. And since Ryan was a bodyguard, apparently he was every bit as useful as the soldiers for any task the man had in mind. Including carrying purchases. Ryan wondered idly if the extra money being spent by virtue of his presence would affect the canon all that much. Probably not. All the money on the ship was going to be blown up anyway, so really, it wasn't that big a deal.

The bigger deal, for now, was the lingerie that Iroh had bought. Zuko had looked askance at the purchase, and Iroh had said he was going to offer it to a woman he knew. Ryan had had to fight to keep his will to live, and Zuko had a distasteful curl of the lips at the time, but they'd both weathered well.

Besides that, Ryan couldn't complain all that much. They'd actually bought clothes for him. He now had some lower-class hanfu clothing. Now he had a dull red shirt with long, loose sleeves. He'd also gotten new pants, and a black sash to keep it secured to his waist. Ryan knew his sifu would kill him for wearing what was, essentially, a black belt, but he was sure he could explain this later. He knew he could.

Ryan looked when Iroh pointed out the pirate ship. Odd. It didn't look like very much. _It looks like... well, junk. Ha ha, and it _is_ a Junk, so..._ Ryan winced. That interior monologue pun was _terrible_. He was glad there weren't any mind readers close by. He was glad his brother hadn't been there to hear him. Actually, scratch that. He loved getting John riled up with horrible puns. It was probably masochistic to his wit to do that, but the look on John's face was always priceless.

Ryan trooped up the gangplank behind Zuko and Iroh, and the boat's bobbing did nothing to affect his balance. He was kind of glad for all those days at sea now, where he could shift from land to boat without so much as a wobble. They walked into the storefront and Ryan began looking around. Yes, these were definitely all curios, and nothing that was particularly useful to him now. He'd have to wait and learn how to use this stuff beforehand. Though watching Iroh be seduced by the stone monkey definitely amused him.

But then someone caught his eye that he definitely wasn't expecting. It was a youth, dressed all in black. His clothes were more threadbare, and the sign on his t-shirt was more worn, but the shock of orange hair on his head and the glasses meant it couldn't be anyone else. It was John, hanging by his wrists from chains. He had a very dour look on his face, and his eyes were focusing on some point on the floor. But as Ryan looked, John looked over at him. His eyes widened in recognition and he frowned. Ryan could only guess at what exactly had happened to get him here. Why was he chained up here instead of in a cell, if he was a prisoner? Didn't they have a brig on a piece of _junk_ like this? The only other reason aside from no brig was if his brother was meant as merchandise, which meant... he was a slave?

That certainly wouldn't do.

Ryan sidled over to his prince. "My Lord," Ryan whispered, "that slave over there would be incredibly useful to you."

"I have an entire ship full of servants," Zuko said. "Now hush. I'm trying to listen to what these people are saying."

"My Lord, that's my _brother_ over there. The one traveling with the Avatar, remember?" Ryan saw Zuko's eyes widen just a little. Good. He'd caught the Prince's attention. "He's sure to have insights into where the Avatar's going. Surely he'd be useful?"

Zuko nodded before walking toward the captain and the man in green - the barker, Ryan realized. "I'm assuming that slave over there was traveling with the bald-headed monk you were talking about?"

"Yeah," the captain sneered. "What's it worth to you?"

Zuko folded his arms. "I'm searching for that monk. That slave would be useful to me."

"Not yet he isn't," the captain said, shaking his head. "We interrogated him, but he doesn't say anything but his name and some string of numbers." Ryan suppressed a chuckle at that. "He's got to be broken in before he's useful to anybody, and he's gotta be useful to us first."

Zuko stroked his chin in thought. "I see your point. But maybe we could help each other. I'm assuming this monk has stolen something of value from you?"

"Yeah. A Water Bending scroll, and a rare one at that." The captain's eyebrows climbed as he realized what Zuko was driving at. "You mean to deal with me?"

"You get your scroll back, I get the monk," Zuko said. "We both win. I'll even make it worth your while and buy the slave from you."

"Unbroken as he is?"

"I can see to his being broken in," Zuko said confidently. Ryan wasn't so sure. John did thrive on the military lifestyle, and being on a ship full of soldiers would probably prop him up easily. But there was no need for Zuko to know that. He watched the two of them haggle over the terms of the deal, and was only satisfied when money changed hands.

---

"Commander, I have done everything you said. I have stayed in my room, under guard. You can't even bother to insure that my person is safe. I was not sea-sick. Please don't insult my intelligence," Elle said, glad that Jannai had finally agreed to untie her and she was able to face Zhao.

"My lady, the source of the matter was… taken care of properly. I assure you, you need not concern yourself with it," Zhao said, his teeth gritted with annoyance. "Now the doctor will care for you here in the hospital wing and that should be the end of the matter."

"I am glad to hear it and I'm sure the Princess will be as well," Elle said, drawing herself up to her full height, which was… pathetic, compared to Zhao.

"Oh yes, my lady. She will be quite interested in seeing that all the soldiers assigned to you properly punished," Zhao reminded, using that damned weapon of guilt. "I'm sure that would be… most upsetting to you."

Elle closed her eyes for a moment. "Sea-sickness… I see your point." She wasn't about to cause more death. But she would not take the yoke submissively again. "But I will be allowed to walk around this ship freely, of course. I will need plenty of fresh air," she reminded, opening her eyes.

Zhao's eyes narrowed. "Of course, my lady. Just remember who will be held responsible if anything should happen to you," he said coldly, giving her the look of disdain reserved for disobedient children.

"According to Princess Azula, that's you," Elle reminded, giving Zhao a smirk. "A captain always goes down with his ship… I suppose the same would be true of a commander." It was amusing to watch Zhao stalk out of the room angrily. Being nobility was starting to get easier.

Doctor Jannai looked up from mixing some strange looking herbs, his golden eyes studying her. "That was very generous of you, my lady," he remarked softly.

"What? Standing up to him? I am not afraid of Zhao. Should I be?" Elle asked, as she poured herself a drink of water.

"Yes. The commander did not earn his position by stomaching defeat. But that was not what I mean. You care for others. You are willing to accept restriction to guarantee the safety of others," Doctor Jannai said, with a shy smile. "I believe that very honorable."

Elle laughed. "Thank you, Doctor. I am honored you think so," she punned, moving over to help him. "Allow me to assist you. If I'm staying here, I might as well be of some use."

Doctor Jannai's smile widened. "I'd like that, my lady. Please, I must know more about the Spirit World."

---

Ryan was no stranger to all-nighters. College had made them routine, almost, and it didn't bother him to stay up into the night and see the dawn peeking over the horizon. He'd managed to stay awake even through the gentle rocking of the boat, and he hadn't said a word during the interrogation. Even after Katara's capture, Zuko hadn't permitted him any sleep. Still, Ryan couldn't blame him all that much. He was on the cusp of having everything he wanted and had striven for for the past two years. The enthusiasm was catching, it really was.

Watching the two of them talk, though, Ryan had to admit it - the shippers had nothing. There was no chemistry between them.

Now the dawn was breaking, and the pirates were coming forward. And he had to admit that Iroh was right. It really _was_ Katara's fault. If she'd just been more mature in her handling of the scroll, there was no way they'd have been able to catch her. Though, then again, if she been wised up somehow to it, Ryan would have had to guide Zuko in himself. Now, there was a comforting thought. After all, it was his job. He would have had to have been responsible for getting Zuko the Avatar and getting the Avatar away from Zuko without making it look like he'd had the first thing to do with it. Holy crap!

He stayed quiet as the haggling began. Nothing was said about John, because the boy was a purchase with a down payment on him and everything. The pirates had left him on their ship, so that he wouldn't be a nuisance. He hadn't had a chance to talk to his brother at all. Zuko had made it clear that, unless ordered otherwise, it was a bodyguard's job to guard the body in question.

Ryan _did_, however, begin stretching out very subtly, faking fatigue with a yawn as he stretched this way and that. It was getting ready to be on soon.

Sokka began running his mouth. Ryan silently began counting down. _Three… two… one… go!_

"You'll regret breaking a deal with me!" Prince Zuko shouted. Ryan stepped forward to fling fire from his fists with the others - but his fizzled out while the others flowed.

Ryan wasn't sure whether to laugh or groan. _Lame. Lame!_ A second later, though, the ground erupted in smoke, and Ryan heard a familiar battle cry. Ryan brought his hands up, and as other shouts and cries penetrated the murk he found himself locked in battle with the salesman himself.

Ryan hadn't much warning when the knives were brandished at him. He just knew to twist and roll his body out of the way. The thought of the blades made him tense, but he knew he had to relax and stay loose if he was going to be quick enough. He ducked under a swipe and hooked his fist to the man's side. He saw the man stumble and rose to throw a roundhouse kick. This connected as well, bringing a grunt of pain. Ryan barreled in, but the barker was quick to recover, slashing down. Ryan parried, and used his arm to sweep his opponent's down and away from him. He stepped inside as the barker stabbed with his other knife, shave-blocking the arm. His advance was stopped, though, when he felt a knee to his gut. Ryan stumbled backward and just caught the glint of steel. He threw his arm out to block but it was sloppy. Fire scored along his right forearm.

The smoke was suddenly blown away, and Ryan could see the sneer on the barker's face. Ryan flexed his fingers and grimaced. He'd been lucky. The knife had scored mostly along the bone, so no vital tissue. At least he wasn't wearing his new clothes. It would have sucked hard to have to repair them already.

The smoke rushed back in. A haze descended on Ryan's mind as he rushed forward. Some piece in the back was buzzing angrily at him to slow the hell down and pace himself. Ryan wasn't listening. He rushed forward and threw punches, kicks, anything. The adrenaline clouded his thoughts and all he knew was the body in front of him just wouldn't sit still -

And then it was gone. Just like that. Ryan heard shouting, but it seemed distant through the smoke. He suddenly felt very heavy, but he forced himself to jog out of the smoke to see two boats sailing downriver, and Zuko running after.

-

When John had felt the ship shifting beneath him, he knew what it meant. He began to shout. "Hey! _Hey! _Get me outta here!" He began to twist his head this way and that, looking for the keys; he was almost positive that the pirates hadn't taken them along.

He saw a head with a braid and he blinked. "John?" he heard her voice call. "Is that you?"

_Aw, this sucks_, John groused. _I thought she was the damsel in distress in this episode!_ "Yeah, over here!" he said, swinging his arms and rattling his chains.

"What happened?" Katara asked as she stepped inside. She was quick, dashing to the desk and looking through it for the keys.

"What does it look like happened?" John snapped. "For that matter, why the hell didn't you guys come back for me?"

"We tried!" she said, pulling open a drawer. She smiled briefly and reached in, and John saw her pull the keys out. "We wanted to, but when we came back, Prince Zuko was here in force." She looked him up and down, trying to find the lock holding the chains in place. "We thought he'd leave soon enough, so we thought we'd try again today."

"Good timing," John said as the chains loosened with a _click_. "I'll remember this next time one of you needs rescuing."

"I said we were sorry!" Katara said, frowning as John freed himself from the confines of his chains. "Is this really the time?"

John heard shouts from outside and he clenched his fists. "You're right. We'll talk about this later. Right now I got a score to settle with them bitches." He ran outside, looking around for enemies. They weren't really that numerous. There were two pirates right in front of them - and suddenly a huge wave overcame one, blowing him overboard.

John turned and ran as Katara faced the other, her hands and weight shifting into the form for the Water Whip. John knew she'd make it. He didn't take the time to congratulate her, though. A pirate had managed to hoist himself aboard. John rushed him immediately. The pirate stepped aside, brandishing his nunchaku at John.

John retreated under the barrage, moving his hands in Rolling the Ball to meet every strike. He drew back, step by step, until he snapped out with his leg and tapped the pirate on the shin. The pirate looked down - and into John's fist, as he stepped forward and swung upward. He ignored the stinging in his knuckles as he walked forward, pummeling the man's body. He didn't even see the nunchaku come back up, but he felt it strike him in the side of the head. John stumbled, but recovered just in time to see the pirate brandishing the sweeping weapon at him again.

The pirate swung. John ducked under and caught the man's arm in a bar-lock. He swung the man as hard as he could, slamming him into the side of the boat. Before the hapless pirate could do anything else, John sank his stance and caught the man by his ankles. He swept up - tipping the man into the river.

"That's what you get!" John crowed. And then the boat shifted under him. He stumbled, catching himself on the guardrail of the ship. That was when he heard it - the dull roar of the falls. He turned around and saw Aang and Katara pushing and pulling the water. The wood beneath his feet shuddered. It really was working. He was about to go and join when he saw the cutter boat coming right at them.

"Oh shi-!" were the only words John could manage before the crash sent them over the edge. The crunch of wood was drowned in the roar of rushing water, and the world went crazy as the sky became the earth. Suddenly he was pitched forward, flying in a decidedly downward direction, and his heart stopped in his chest then and there - until he crashed into something warm and broad.

-

Ryan watched as Appa flew away, and he was able to breathe easier. He was breathing easier anyway, with them having stopped jogging. His Prince, however, was a little less than relaxed.

"My boat!" he seethed.

Iroh shifted his hands to rest in his sleeves, and Ryan thought he was about to dispense some sage advice. Instead, he said, "Zuko, you're really going to get a kick out of this. The missing Lotus tile was in my sleeve the whole time!" Ryan couldn't help it - he burst out laughing. It was just too ridiculous! After all that struggle, it ended up being in the one place he hadn't thought to look.

In one smooth motion, Zuko spun around, grabbed the tile and threw it as far as he could. Ryan saw floating heads in the river down below and knew the tile had hit whichever one was the barker.

Iroh shook his head. "Well. That is too bad. A real shame, wouldn't you say, Ryan?"

"No doubt it's a painful loss, my Lord."

"And with all the years of my life upon me, I'm afraid my joints are so stiff!" Iroh said, rubbing his hands for emphasis.

Ryan was about to ask when he caught the look in Iroh's eyes. "My Lord, do you mean for me to climb down there and find the Lotus Tile?"

"I most certainly do not!" Iroh said emphatically. "You aren't my bodyguard to order at my whims."

Ryan groaned. The low pressure approach! Dammit! Now he _had_ to climb down there!

---

John leaned back as the gang congratulated themselves. Let 'em have their moments. After all, it was definitely all right to steal from pirates. It was when you stole from ninjas that you had problems.

Sokka, though, turned to look at him, and said, "John, man, we're really sorry we didn't come back for you."

"Yeah, man, what the hell?" John asked. "You weren't afraid to go and rescue a bunch of refugees from a prison, but you can't spring me from a boat? I mean, what-?" He gestured with his hands, trying to convey his meaning.

"Well, we were going to," Sokka said. "But the pirates were scouring the port for us, and when Zuko got there we thought it'd be double the trouble. Besides, we didn't have a town's worth of Earth Benders to back us up this time. We just didn't see how we could make it work, so we decided to check in again tomorrow. Er, today."

"I see," John said, folding his arms. Well, whatever. It had worked out, and he hadn't been abandoned. He knew these guys were too good to just leave him behind. He'd seen the show.

---

Kishi: And there you have it - the end of transcript episodes. I bet you guys have been waiting for this for a while. I'm glad you've been patient enough to stick around.

Avatar the Last Air Bender is copyrighted to Bryan Konietzko and Michael DiMartino.

Ryan and John and Elle are all real people. None are tools. Don't use 'em.

Special thanks to Acastus for his transcription of this episode.

Special thanks to Hotspur-sensei for putting up with me throughout this chapter.


	11. Chapter 11

Kishi: Look, I know you guys aren't too up on the idea of Hotspur being high in the last chapter, but come on! This is a comedy, isn't it? Can't we lighten up a bit? Eh-heh heh?

---

Kyoudai

Chapter 11

---

John heard the chittering of the little lemur before he saw anything else. Aang called out, and that was when John remembered.

Another couple days had passed since they'd gotten the scroll back from the pirates. When the group wasn't flying, they were practicing, and John knew it was either that or chores. He was pretty sure they could imagine something for him to do, so he helped to get everything out of the way. Laziness missed now meant more for later. Only not, because now that he was here, he could play sparring partner for Sokka.

The boy's style was unorthodox, reminding John of some kind of shuei jiao mixed with kickboxing. He was actually a much better fighter than he'd been shown to be on the show. It was about as John had suspected, and truth be told it was one of the reasons he hated the whole gimmick of bending. Sokka was a good guy, but in the show he always managed to get written off as comic relief or else just useless in a fight. John couldn't recall many instances when he'd gotten to shine through on anything other than laughs.

As for his control of the 'gimmick,' it was coming along all right. It was just straight taiji formwork, almost. Some of it was a bit different, on account of the style being a different lineage. John had the distinct feeling that this was a southern style of taiji, on the basis that it seemed to be more linear than the circular forms he knew. But the changes were little, and he still flowed with it. He still didn't have consistent control over it, though. He could achieve the no-mind when he was in his forms or running through the postures, but then he'd see the water moving with him and it'd break his concentration.

It'd only been a couple days, though. He was still picking this up. Besides, it meant spending time with Katara, and that was a definite perk. No luck with her getting her clothes wet, but maybe he could make a 'mistake.' It was a hope. Of course he remembered what Ryan had said, and he wasn't going to interfere in Aang and Katara's relationship. Not much. Besides, seeing Katara with this world's version of a wet t-shirt might help jumpstart things for the two of them.

John dropped out of his thoughts just in time to see Sokka throw his boomerang. _See_, John thought, _Sokka needs more moments like this. Maybe then people'd take non-Benders seriously as characters_. He wondered if he ought to tell Sokka that Jet was using these traps, but he decided against it. That would be interfering. God knew this trip wasn't eventful enough, no.

He also had to admit that, were he in charge, he would have grounded them too. Walking was good for the soul. Especially the soul that didn't want to get shot.

"Walking _stinks!_" Aang complained an hour later. "How do you people go anywhere without a flying bison?"

"We walk," John grated. God _damn_, but this kid could be a whiner. "We got legs for a reason, kid. We use 'em."

"But flying is so much faster and easier!" Aang said. "I mean, come on. There can't be any Fire Nation troops close by."

John withheld the critical comment that would have explained everything. Instead he said, "Hey, I trust Sokka's instincts. You should too."

"While we're trusting them, I think we ought to ask them why we're walking," Katara said. "Maybe they're just scared of heights."

"Hey, yeah!" Aang said. "You don't have to be afraid, Sokka's Instincts!"

"All right already!" Sokka said, throwing up his hands in disgust. "Look, I know you're all tired. I am too. But the important thing is that we're safe from... the..." John peered around as Sokka paused, caught in the moment of parting bushes. He could see the Camp. The One Camp. Even though John knew what would happen, his palms began to sweat.

"Fire... Nation?" Sokka asked. The awkward pause stretched into eternity, broken only by the panicked shout of "_Run!_" The camp was roused, and John felt the heat as fire blazed by overhead, igniting their escape route. He turned back around, hands up. No water for him, no. It would just be him and his hands. As usual. He waited for the bluff to pass - _failed bluff check_, he thought absently - and watched as the Officer's smug grin turned to shock before slumping to the ground.

"Whoop de doo, Sokka's Instincts," John murmured to himself.

"You really think that did it?" Sokka asked, voice shocked.

"Look!" Katara shouted. John looked up just in time to see the figure of a young man sling himself forward and onto the backs of two soldiers. He was dressed in green, with a red vest and mismatched armor - a pair of shoulder pads and what looked to be some kind of non-greave leg armor - and his hair was shaggy and brown. John was surprised to see the guy really _did_ have the weed in his mouth. He was even more surprised when the guy used his shuang gou to flip the soldiers and send them flying.

John turned back to the others and saw them all staring. He grimaced and shook his head. "What?" he asked. "Are you guys just going to stand there? Let's move!" After all, these soldiers were mooks anyway. He was willing to bet none of them had any name to speak of.

He rushed forward so quickly that the soldier's sword almost impaled him. But it didn't; he simply stepped around the soldier's stab, punching forward as hard as he could - and hitting armor. John grimaced as pain shot up his arm and engulfed his hand, but at least he'd gotten the form right - no damage to the elbow. The soldier slashed at him, and John ducked down. The soldier slashed down at him, and John stepped aside again, keeping inside the man's defense. Before the man could do anything else, John rushed him, grabbing his arms and putting a leg inside the man's own. The soldier seemed surprised by this tactic and tried to angle his sword to stab.

John grinned. The man obviously didn't realize his error. John shifted his leg forward and sank down, pushing forward with his body. The man, totally unbalanced, fell backwards hard.

John turned to look around. The fight, it seemed, had ended quickly. Sokka had a disgusted look on his face, as though something filthy had happened. John was more interested, though, in watching Jet suddenly spin up right close to Katara. Something about seeing her react to the 'smooth criminal' aura set his hackles to rise.

---

The prospect of bathing with Iroh had filled Ryan with a dread unlike anything he'd ever encountered before. It wasn't that bathing itself was somewhat abhorrent, just bathing with the old man. Despite being on a ship full of men who weren't packing any different parts from him, he was a rather modest guy. Something about bathing with other men around just struck him as odd. Learning that there was only one real bath on the ship had made things interesting, insofar as finding time to bathe alone.

Naturally, Iroh wasn't having any of that. And having a bad attitude about it certainly wasn't going to change anything. So Ryan put his more modest instincts on hold when they arrived in the changing area. There actually weren't that many men here today, which seemed odd at first. Still, it was evening. They were probably all eating in the mess hall.

Ryan was surprised to see that the changing room looked surprisingly like what anime had suggested to him. Along the walls were a series of open compartments, into which Ryan presumed they'd be stuffing their clothing. As the two of them stripped down, this was borne out to be true. With their clothes disposed of, Iroh reached for one of the linen towels that was hung where the compartments ended, as well as a wooden bucket. Ryan grabbed another bucket to find the soaps. He didn't, however, have the first clue on how to wrap a towel, so he swung it over his shoulder and stepped into the bath.

Upon entering, though, Ryan had to admit a fair degree of surprise at how nice the place looked. Lined up along two opposite walls were what looked to be low, red-tiled pools of water. In the center of the room was the bath itself, and the water was clear and steaming. Ryan could see several portholes just high enough to keep people from seeing in - which meant he was eye-level with them. Still though, in this steamy place, the red lights seemed almost warm.

"What's the matter, Ryan?" Iroh asked. "You act as if you've never seen a bath before."

Given the way Ryan smelled, there was probably more reason for this than observation. "Well," he said, "not like this. Honestly, isn't this a little much?"

"Hmm?" Iroh rumbled as he walked to one of the low pools. "How do you mean?"

"I mean, all this tile. It's a little affluent, isn't it?"

"Compared to what? Metal?" Iroh chuckled. "If we didn't have the tile in here, the floors would rust. Bad for the ship, and bad for us since it's not clean."

"Oops. Forgot." Ryan walked over to sit next to Iroh, combing his memory for bathing ritual. The construction here was remarkably like the sento houses in Japan, which came from China to begin with anyway. He watched Iroh for cues and was pleased to see that he wasn't too far off the mark with this one. He emptied the soaps out of the bucket, filled it with water, and doused himself with it. He scrubbed vigorously with the soap, and he noted that Iroh wasn't being careful to conserve any of the soap. But that made sense - it was a communal bath, and you wanted to be sure to be as clean as possible. No sense bathing with dirty water.

He caught a falling flash of gray out the corner of his eye and saw that Iroh had undone his topknot. "Ah," Iroh said. "Feels good to be clean, doesn't it?"

Ryan nodded. He vigorously rubbed some of the oils through his hair and rinsed it out. As he did so, he heard the older man rise and walk over to the bath itself. Figuring that he'd join the older man, he sat down on the lip of the bath and let his legs sink into the bath.

"Temperature's perfect," Iroh commented, and Ryan nodded again, this time because his jaw was set. The heat was absolutely incredible. He'd done the hot tub experience, but this was much different. It felt like liquid fire that somehow didn't manage to burn. But, either because of Ryan learning how to use fire or because he was just stubborn, the heat soon meant nothing to him, and he shifted himself into the bath itself. He was mildly amazed to find that, once the initial scalding was done, it actually did feel good to just sit in the heat.

"So you mean to tell me that they don't have baths where you're from?" Iroh asked.

"Not where I live, anyway," Ryan said. "Homes have their own private bathing areas in my country. We don't share out with people that way, though."

"I see. Do you miss home?"

Ryan stared down at the water. "Sometimes. I try not to think about it too much. Missing home isn't getting me back there any quicker, you know?"

"And yet you've seen people from your home twice recently."

"Very true," Ryan said with a wry chuckle. "Matter of fact, that was my brother with the Avatar."

"Your brother? Well, that certainly makes things interesting," Iroh said. "Do you miss him?"

The answer caught him off-guard. "Well, kind of. I mean, he _is_ my brother. Don't you miss yours?"

"I miss who my brother _was_," Iroh said. Ryan was about to question what exactly Iroh meant until he remembered who the man was.

"So Fire Lord Ozai wasn't always the way he is now?"

"No. He was once a very good man. Not like he is now."

"Hmmm." Ryan leaned back in the basin and breathed steam.

"Who was that other one from your world?" Iroh asked suddenly.

"Her? She's Elle."

"She seemed to be doing well."

Ryan chuckled. "If you call being in Azula's hands 'doing well,'" he said.

"Well, look at the bright side!" Iroh said with a grin. "She's probably safer there than anywhere else."

Ryan laughed at the irony, and a companionable silence fell upon them.

---

"And this herb is called…" Jannai quizzed, holding up some light green leaves with serrated edges.

"Monk's Breath. When concentrated into a powder, it's useful for knocking out opponents without causing injury to yourself, as long as you breathe into a handkerchief doused in with a tincture of mossflower," Elle recited back, taking out a mortar and pestle to begin her task. 

"And this one?" Jannai asked, holding a blue flower with petals shaped like tear-drops.

"River lilies. Good source of nutrition and helps increase heart-rate, but can cause damage if overused," Elle fired back. She had always been good in school, so learning the various herbs had been easy for her. Her mind was tired of the endless boredom and eager to absorb knowledge.

"Excellent. I'm really impressed, my lady. Every question answered correctly. You are almost ready to become an apothecary," Jannai teased, handing her the plant. "So, ready to take on blood-letting?" he asked.

Elle scowled at her new guardian. "I am your patient, remember? My job is to sit and enjoy a well-needed rest after terrible sea-sickness," she said, getting to work. "And, I suppose, to entertain you."

"It is my honor to tend to my lady. Now, how are you feeling?" Jannai asked, as he watched her intently. "You should not strain yourself, as the toxins take a while to leave your body."

"For the fifteenth time, I am fine. I think you just enjoy having a captive audience," Elle teased, throwing a twig at him. "You worry too much about me."

"I live to serve, my lady. Besides, the good commander would have me flayed and keelhauled if you came to any harm," Jannai said, trying to avoid flinching. "It is my duty to keep you safe."

"Well, you could just chain me to the wall, or put a bell around my neck. It would insure you never had to worry," Elle muttered darkly.

"That's an option I look into when all others have been exhausted. Though, the bell around your neck might not be a bad idea, if you weren't a lady," Jannai mused, as he checked the constancy of an opium cocktail. "However I think I can keep an eye on you while you make medicine. But please, while we work, tell me more about the Spirit World?"

Elle laughed. "I've told you about our food, our clothing, our languages, our holidays, what else do you wish to know?" she asked, tossing her hair. It felt good to leave it loose, without the fancy styles she had formally adopted. It felt even better to wear pantaloons under her robes.

"Everything. Might I ask you a personal question?" Jannai asked, his golden eyes narrowing as he took some more paste from Elle's mixing bowl.

"Of course," Elle said, as she crushed some aloe plant into a bowl, to assist with burns, always a major problem for Firebenders.

"Are you…a woman, my lady?" Jannai asked, lowering his eyes, as he began skillfully to mix the medication, his hands deftly forming the strange concoctions. "I mean, you are a Spirit World dweller…are you…human?"

Elle rolled her eyes. "Yes, I am human, Mr. Tumnus. I am a daughter of Eve," she said tartly.

"Your father's name is Eve?" Jannai squeaked. "Is that some tribal distinction? Who is Mr. Tumnus?"

Elle drummed her fingers. "My father's name is not Eve, it's Menahem. My tribe is Levite. Mr. Tumnus is a character in a story. And yes, I am human. I possess all the things women have, including the things I wish I didn't have. I would prefer not to prove it to you, but if you insist, I shall." She took Jannai's hand and held it over her heart. "See?"

Jannai smiled. "You are definitely a woman," he said, blushing slightly. Most likely at his own ignorance, Elle decided. "I apologize for my insolence."

"It's not a problem. I'm fairly forgiving," Elle laughed as she returned to her work. "You teach me, I'm glad I could teach you that I'm as human as you are. Promote understanding between cultures." Her parents would be so proud.

---

In John's mind, it was all so very simple. Everything so far was entirely Jet's fault. The fact that Jet didn't get it merely served to cement the point.

The entire episode thus far proved it if nothing else. Jet got all close to Katara and Aang because it worked out in the plot of the story that he'd need their powers. Sokka was going to be discounted up until the very last instant. And John wasn't going to say a word about being a Bender. Hell no. He was no tool. Between Jet stealing his crush and being a genuine asshole, John owed the guy nothing.

When Jet disappeared with Sokka on the bandit mission, he opted out to do maintenance. That had been fun, dangling from a rope with a hammer and nails and banging on a tree all day. The real trick was making sure to be set when you hit the thing or else you just spun out of control. Figuring that out had been a bucket of laughs, for sure.

Slinging himself back up onto one of the platforms, he wiped the sweat from his brow. He didn't see the others anywhere else about - they were probably off taking care of their parts in this little play of theirs. It was getting toward the end of the day, so he guessed this was the part where Sokka got reamed for trying to warn everybody off. Well, fine and good, then. The whole thing disgusted him enough that he didn't care what happened. He needed food anyway.

Walking over the bridges, he shortly came to the communal table. There were a lot of kids sitting there, but nobody was eating yet. Everyone was waiting for the commanding officer, John thought. He'd have to give them credit for that much. They were kids, but at least they knew some of the basics of soldiering. To tell the truth, it actually surprised him that a group like this actually had that level of decorum.

"Hi!" chirped a small voice next to him on the bench. John turned to see a small, open face staring up at him. The eyes were wide and clear, and the little boy was grinning ear to ear.

The only thing John could think of was how very much he hated small kids. "Hey," he managed.

"Who're you?"

"John."

"Cool! I'm Jae! Where are you from?"

"Um… north."

"Where?"

"Um… you know. Somewhere." John scrambled. "What about you?"

"I came from the village in the valley," Jae said.

"I see."

"My parents died when the Fire Nation attacked," Jae said, totally out of the blue in the context of the conversation. John's surprise was plainly evident - a blank expression with raised eyebrows. The kid was so _young_ - he couldn't be much past five years old. Six, maybe. But he was so matter-of-fact about it. Like it wasn't even a big deal.

"I'm sorry," John managed.

"It's okay," Jae said. "This is my family now. Jet's my big brother, and he takes care of me."

_That guy? No way_. "I see."

"Do you have a big brother?"

"Yeah."

"Aren't they cool?" Jae asked. "I hope we get to rescue another kid, so I can be there for him too."

John snorted. Jae had obviously never met Ryan. But still, the fact was right before him - Jet wasn't all bad.

He was still an ass, though.

---

"Good morning," Elle said, smiling. She had been assisting Jannai with tending to the troops, when she noticed that the soldiers on duty had no access to food and water. Standing for hours at a time in the cold night or the warm day would be unpleasant for anyone. Elle immediately sent a message to the galley, insisting that pitchers of fruit juices and buns of bread be brought up. Jannai had warned her that it would displease Commander Zhao, but Elle had decided that displeasing the pompous future admiral was the least of her problems. She needed to show the men she wasn't a monster.

At first, the soldiers seemed wary of her, taking the food with an expression that bordered on terror. Yet, by the fifth day, Elle had earned smiles and thanks from the weary men, which brought her a great deal of happiness.

"Good morning, my lady. I hope you slept well," said Lieutenant Cinfa.

Elle nodded. "Thank you. I'm doing well," she said, holding out her tray of fruit juice and offering him a cup.

"Seeing my lady's smile brightens my day," the older soldier said, taking a glass and taking a deep sip. He was about the age of Elle's father and had a similar voice.

Jannai smiled thinly. "May I check your burn, Lieutenant?" he asked softly, removing some herbs from his pocket.

"Of course," the Lieutenant said, rolling up his sleeve to reveal a shiny burn that smelled horribly. Elle took that as her cue to offer refreshments to the other soldiers on deck, unwilling to show how nauseous she got around blood.

"Thank you, great lady," a younger soldier said, taking a cup and draining it instantly. Elle motioned for him to take another, willing to go back and forth as often as it took to get the men on deck watered. "It's so kind that a noble-born such as yourself would honor us with your presence and gifts."

Elle blushed. "It's my honor to serve the heroes of our nation. You all protect us," she responded.

"After what you went through, getting…seasick like that…you should be resting," another chimed in, taking a cup. 'Most noblewomen find the sun….harsh on their skin."

Elle shook her head. "I can't rest if you are hungry and thirsty. Surely, you aren't trying to get rid of me?" she teased.

"Oh no, my lady. Just don't want you to strain yourself," the first soldier said. "But…the drinks are very appreciated. I must return to work," he said, before the blood drained from his face.

"Having a good walk?" a voice drawled behind Elle, making her grit her teeth. She turned to find Zhao was standing behind her, looking impatient.

"Yes, Commander. It's a lovely day. Thank you for asking," Elle said, wishing she had stayed closer to Jannai and his handy collection of sedative herbs.

"And would you kindly explain why you are bringing my soldiers food and water outside of rations," Zhao asked, speaking slowly as if speaking to a toddler.

"I thought it would improve their comfort, raise morale," Elle said, wishing she was taller. Zhao had this habit of towering over in a way that made her nervous. "The Princess…"

"The Princess is quite aware that my ship is the model of discipline and efficiency, which is why it was chosen to guard you on your mission. So explain to me again, why are you interfering in the running of my ship?"

Elle tried to ignore Zhao's assumptions about why his ship was chosen and to think of a way to make this better. "I apologize, Commander. I just wanted to thank the men for being so loyal and kind to me. In my letter back to Princess Azula, I plan to praise everyone for their hard work and diligence," she said, dropping hints like plates the time she had attempted doing dishes.

Zhao allowed a small amount of displeasure to fade from his face. "I am pleased my lady noticed," he said grudgingly.

Elle remembered the Yiddish expression, When you grease the wheels, you can ride. "I wanted to make myself useful to the crew, Commander. You all work so hard and I wanted to do my share," she said, with enough butter to grease a thousand wheels.

"Well, I'm sure the healer can use your assistance. And you may bring drinks and food to those on crew. That would be sufficient for now," Zhao mused, giving her a bare nod of approval before walking off to speak to another officer.

Elle felt a hand take hers. "My lady, you are either silver-tongued or completely and utterly fortunate," Jannai whispered. "I think you had best keep further ideas to yourself before you risk everyone's lives."

Elle's smile didn't falter. "He agreed with my plan," she said softly, trying to hide the fact that Zhao was very terrifying and still held a very heavy sword over her head. All these men depended her. It was her duty to protect them.

---

Dawn was breaking, and John couldn't be happier. This entire dumb farce was going to be over with in just a few hours. After the days of boredom, what were another couple hours? Still, even if it was just a couple of hours, he couldn't shake the restive feeling. He just wanted to be _gone_, to get going on Appa and not have to look back. But his legs wouldn't let him stay still, so he'd walked away and into the forest.

The leaves were all red, even now in the middle of winter. Was autumn really the best this part of the world could manage? Still, John thought, it was nice. It was almost like that scene from Hero, where the leaves had all turned red. But then, since this world was kung-fu-cinema brought to life, it just might have been deliberate.

He wasn't going to complain.

But noises interrupted his walk, and they did not sound friendly. He immediately dropped behind a tree and peeked around. The noise resolved itself into voices and struggling, and John was surprised at what he saw. Two Fire Nation soldiers were dragging a kicking, shouting bundle between them. John looked harder – yep, that was definitely Jae.

This was definitely a surprise. There hadn't been anything in the episode at all about this. John watched them moving through, presumably toward the village. And with that, he realized that there was a chance that Jae was going to die. They might get caught on the path to the village and right in the path of the wave from the dam – no warning for them, just a quick and crushing death.

As that thought came to him, another came as well – that maybe that was what was meant to happen. Ryan's words came crashing down to him, about how he wasn't to interfere and how he had to stay out of the way.

But now here he was, looking at this little kid who was being taken hostage by the enemy, to whatever fate might await him. And this was the right thing to do? Abandoning a kid? John didn't like kids that much, really, but even this was a little too low for him. But what if this really was the way things were meant to be? What if interfering here and now affected something further down the line, that _had_ to happen a certain way?

John watched for only a second longer before making his decision. The two soldiers barely knew what hit them.

As the second one toppled to the ground, Jae looked up at him in awe. "Wow, John!" he said. "You fight as good as Jet does!"

John was pretty sure that wasn't true, but how could a kid know the difference? Besides, at least the surprise attack had worked. "Thanks," he said. "Now get back to the trees. Things are going to get bad soon, and you need to make sure everyone's ready. Okay?" Jae nodded. "Go!" The little boy was already running, though, flitting from tree to tree.

John took a deep breath. The choice didn't feel anywhere near as heavy as the moment leading up to it. Ryan wasn't right at all. Just being here in the world was changing it – not even the dialogue was flowing like it was supposed to. Which meant, John decided, that there was no longer any guarantee that things would turn out the way they were supposed to anyway. So why worry about preserving it? This was all a cartoon anyway. Why not do whatever he wanted?

And right now, he wanted to go lie on Appa and wait for Sokka to get back. And that was precisely what he did.

---

Kishi: Oh snap! John done gone made a choice for once! What's he going to do now?

Avatar: The Last Airbender is copyrighted to Bryan Konietzko and Michael DiMartino.

Ryan, John, and Elle are fo' rizzle. 'nuff said.

Special thanks to Fledgling for the transcription.

Special thanks to Hotspur-sensei for challenging me.


	12. Chapter 12

Kishi: Thanks to everyone who's reviewed so far! And thank you to everyone who's just hiding in the shadows without saying a word. I know my stats. I know you're out there - and I'm glad for all of you.

---

Kyoudai

Chapter 12

---

John had never been to the Grand Canyon. He was pretty sure, though, that the Divide probably beat it for size. For once, he found he could actually agree with Katara and Aang on just being amazed at the sight of it.

Honestly, given all the trouble they'd gone through to just get to the thing, you'd think that they'd be glad to think of something other than themselves. Sokka and Katara had gotten into a fight with each other over tents and firewood, of all things. He'd been out gathering food with Aang, but to see the two of them standing back to back with each other had almost been too much. He'd wanted to laugh out loud at the sight of the two, normally so mature, but now so utterly childish.

Still, though, he probably would have lost his temper afterward. The trouble with military training was that all the conflict resolution revolved around either killing the other guy or shouting him down until he submitted. Or turning the matter over to a superior officer. Except there were no superior officers. So John decided, if worse came to worse, he'd just blame Sokka and be done with it. Never mind that the kid was an awesome non-Bender – if John was going to get _anywhere_ with Katara, it wasn't going to begin with blaming her.

"How can you not be fascinated, Sokka?" Katara asked. "This is the largest canyon in the entire world."

"Then I'm sure we'll be able to see it very clearly from the air while we fly away."

John was about to make a quip when a fancily dressed man rushed past Sokka, shoving him out of the way. John frowned. "Hey, metro!" he shouted after the guy. "Where's the fire? Aren't you flaming enough already?"

"What are you babbling about?" the man snarled. "I'm here for the Canyon Guide! I was here first!"

_What a loser_, John thought. Still, though, this guy's problem wasn't his problem, so it didn't really matter that much.

"Chill out," John said. "You're first. Or next. Or whatever. We're flying across anyway, so you can keep your little scrap of nowhere all to yourself." John noticed Sokka make the universal wince – the one that always signals when a person just got schooled.

"It's not like that at all!" the man spluttered. "This _used_ to be our home, before the Fire Nation burned it all to the ground. Now my people have to walk all the way to Ba Sing Se!"

"You're a refugee," Katara said, and John felt a pang of regret. He'd forgotten that these people had all seen some pretty hard things in their lives. He knew he didn't quite have any trauma that measured up to that. But still. At least this guy could walk. At least he was alive. Didn't he know he ought to be grateful for that much?

That was when he noticed a bunch of people approaching dressed in animal skins, and he clammed up. Somehow John had the presence of mind not to let his particular brand of 'conflict resolution' come into play.

---

Zuko had insisted on training Ryan personally today, although the latter couldn't imagine why. He knew the Prince had more important matters to attend to than his bodyguard's training. At least, he was pretty sure that was the case. He'd never really thought about what Zuko must do when he wasn't chasing the Avatar. Ryan had always thought it just meant a lot of training and meditation and schooling and more training. But in all the time he'd been here, he hadn't really seen the Prince train. Though, then again, the time they were scheduled to train could just be different.

But they were out on the deck of the ship now, and it was late at night. The breeze was cool and the pounding of the waves crashed through the air. But aside from the light up in the bridge, there was no sign of life. Zuko was standing in his typical loose, casual garments, and there was a wrapped bundle at his feet.

"So how are we to train tonight, my Lord?" Ryan asked.

"Your training is going well," Zuko said. "But you don't seem to know any weapons. Did you learn anything in the future?"

"Some staff and stick type stuff," Ryan said, albeit a bit defensively. What was Zuko trying to imply here? That he wasn't any good with weapons? He could learn.

"Peasant weapons," Zuko said, and Ryan was surprised to see him nod with approval. "Good. They're simple to learn. And you don't have a lifetime to learn what a bodyguard learns, so you'll have to learn the simple things and hope they're enough."

"I'm sure they will be, my Lord."

"Good. Unfortunately, staff and stick aren't standard issue weapons in the army, so you're going to have to learn something different." With that, Zuko picked up the bundle and tossed it to Ryan, who caught it. Ryan unwrapped the sackcloth and was puzzled to find a dao in its sheathe.

"I don't understand," Ryan said, although he had a sneaking suspicion that he might.

"These particular dao," Zuko said, "are simple to use. You don't have time to learn the intricacies of the spear or the jian. Peasants use these as tools and as weapons, and they're relatively simple." _In other words_, Ryan thought, _something nice and sharp that I can learn in a week._ He was wryly amused at how much effort was being put into getting him on par with a real bodyguard, but he knew this was a gift, and he did appreciate it.

He bowed. "Thank you, my Lord. I shall strive to grow proficient in their use."

---

Listening to canyon lore had been interesting as much as any kind of trivia could be, but frankly it would have put John to sleep if he hadn't been walking. He snuck looks at Katara to pass the time, but not even that little joy could compare to the canyon crawlers they ran into. John decided two things after this encounter – firstly, that he was going to get a water skin at the absolute next opportunity.

The other decision he arrived at was that the crawlers were another thing the show had downplayed pretty severely. Something about seeing a furry, six-legged many-eyed freak of nature was just lost in animation. Especially given that the thing was twice the size of a good-size horse. And it was nothing but claws and teeth.

Of course the guide had been injured, but they'd managed to travel on somehow despite it all. But the Zhang and the Gan Jin just wouldn't have it. John had heard Ryan tell stories of his door-to-door job and how crazy people could be, but he'd always taken it with a grain of salt. Now, though, he was starting to bet that maybe some of his brother's stories had had something of the truth in them.

So when they'd opted to split up, John had decided to go with Katara. Because she was more fun to talk to on an empty stomach. Sokka was a riot most of the time, but he and John had this in common – their stomachs ruled them. It wasn't any fun being around the guy when he was hungry.

This was how he found himself walking along with Katara in a smaller crevasse, and with a tribe of fopped up busybodies who had all their worries in the wrong place. But Katara was here. It was bearable.

Now if only he could say something! Why couldn't this be like those date sims where the women did all the talking and he just got to say smooth lines? Was it really that much to ask?

As he looked at her though, he caught the expression on her face. She was loving this walk. She was looking at the walls with her eyes wide, looking all over, trying to commit it all to memory. And John started talking before he could even think:

"I bet you're to blame for this somehow."

Katara looked at him, and the wonder was gone. "What did you say?"

"I said I bet this is all your fault some how." He hoped she knew he was teasing.

"Oh really? And how do you figure that?" she asked, and something in her tone said she was playing along.

"Because _you_ wanted to see the canyon," John said. "Somehow you arranged to delay us just enough to arrive when these two tribes were coming in. You knew that Aang would have Appa ferry the elderly across. You just wanted to take this at a walk!" John heaved a heavy sigh and shook his head. "Really, now. Was all this necessary?"

To his surprise, she smiled at him. "Well, of course!" she said. "I wanted to see this place so badly that I'd do anything to be right here, right now. Anything."

"Hang your head in shame!" Katara shook her head indignantly, but she was shaking with mirth such that John really didn't press the point. He just let one of his half-grins crack onto his face before shaking it off.

"But seriously, John, isn't this amazing? This is the largest canyon in the world! Everything's been carved out over thousands of years, to exactly the way it is today." Katara was getting her wonder look back. "Isn't this incredible?"

"Meh. I'm thinking more about the Canyon Crawlers we have to watch for."

"Oh, come on. Can't you just enjoy this for what it is?"

"I'll try to enjoy our next run-in with the Crawlers," John said wryly. "No, seriously. When they eat me, I'll grin and bear."

"Aw, John," Katara groaned. "You're starting to sound exactly like my brother! How can you two be so pessimistic?"

"We're not pessimists, we're realists," John said. "Besides, he's been right before."

"Don't remind me. So what do you think is the problem here?" Katara asked, in a quieter voice. "What could cause these two tribes to hate each other so?"

Once, John might've restrained himself from an honest answer, but now that Ryan could go to Hell, who cared? "It's probably something small and petty that's been blown out of proportion," he said. "But don't tell them that. It might be small, but it's huge to them."

"D'you think so?"

"Call it a hunch."

---

Elle had assumed she would spend the rest of her stay in the Avatar world be spent being Jannai's herbalist, quietly waiting for an opportunity to go back to her world. She did long to explore this wonderful world by herself, but was smart enough to understand that this place was a lot more dangerous to a woman alone, with no money and no idea of culture. It was better to remain with her crude commander and his merry men of soldiers.  
Therefore, she had been quite shocked to find out that she was being taken to a fortress for safe keeping.

"Commander Zhao is going to be rooting out a rebellion and there has been rumors of terrorists in the area. It is feared you would be captured. Colonel Shynu has agreed to see to your protection," Lieutenant Noriaki said, reading the letter for Elle, who had claimed her eyes were weak.

"Thank the commander for his gracious protection of me," Elle flattered, her eyes lighting up when she heard who would be her new protector. She'd be right at the thick of the action now and she might even get to see Ryan and John again. This was working out nicely. "I shall gather some personal items," she said, shooing him out of the room.

She didn't have many belongings, most of it was clothing, a hair brush and some ribbons and a water basin. Most of her personal effects seemed to be purchased for her at her destinations, allowing her to travel light.

As Elle sat at her bed, trying to figure out which of her things she would require immediately, she felt a pair of eyes on her. "Jannai, I didn't even notice you coming in," she said, noticing the good doctor looked a bit gloomy today.

"I know," Jannai mumbled, tearing a long aloe leaf between his fingers angrily. "I only wanted to wish you well."

Elle smiled politely. "Thank you. I'll be fine. You better take care of yourself or I'll have you imprisoned for your own safety," she said, trying to brighten his mood.

"Thank you. I…bought you a humble present," Jannai said, bowing deeply. Poor guy really seemed depressed. She imagined being a doctor must be stressful, having death and misery always around him. "I hope you like it."

"An healer's belt!" Elle squealed happily, honored by the gift. She was touched by his generosity. "You really think?"

Jannai smiled and nodded. "You have learned herbs and have demonstrated your mastery. Wear it well," he whispered bashfully. Elle spun around to allow him to bind the sash around her. It felt good and heavy, the weight of an article demonstrating her skill and achievement. "Reach into the pockets."

Elle reached in and felt the sewn in pockets. "There is about three doses of your basic medicine palette, in the order we learned them in," Jannai explained, not removing his hands from her hips. "And of course, your knife."

"Knife?" Elle squeaked, wondering if it was a root knife or another kind of knife that drew blood. She felt inside the side of her belt to find a thin smooth knife, hidden in a flap.

"Calm yourself, my lady. You will always be well protected. This is just in case of an emergency. I doubt you will ever be alone. Still, it will be most hard to part with you," Jannai said softly, staring at his boots with a curious expression. "You have been most enjoyable to guard."

"Thank you. It was a pleasure shared," Elle said, as she pondered the joy of living in a palace again and enjoying the comforts of a Zhao-free existence.

"The ship will be so quiet without your constant good cheer," Jannai continued, finally looking up at her. "I will be quite alone again."

"Till the next one who needs a kind word," Elle assured him. "I'm sure many more people will seek your help."

"I…doubt anyone could replace my lady," Jannai said, obviously flattering her to make her feel better. "I will think of you every moment." 

"I highly doubt that," Elle laughed, knowing that in a few days, she'd be just another patient in his logbook. He'd have a glorious career someday.

"I assure you, every word I say is true," Jannai said, his eyes widening considerably. "It has been my greatest honor to have met you," he continued, moving closer to her, his eyes burning into hers.

"I really have to thank you for being so kind and caring for me," Elle said pleasantly, giving him a radiant smile. "I wouldn't have been able to get through this without you," she said to her dear friend, wondering why he was acting so strangely.

"It would bring me joy to always live in such a way with you," Jannai blurted out, his ears turning red.

"I should hope you don't want me an invalid kept in a sick bay for the rest of my life," Elle asked confusedly. She had enjoyed his attention, but it had been terrible living under such constraints.

"No, you misunderstand. I wish you to always be close to me, to remain near me," Jannai babbled, clearly a bit nervous at letting her out without proper supervision.

"I'll be fine. I don't need you to guide me like a father. I'm a big girl, I can take care of myself," Elle giggled, patting his sweaty hand.

"A lady like yourself should be cared for at all times, given the position she deserves," Jannai pleaded. "It would be my honor to provide that." He moved closer and took Elle by the waist. "Please try to understand that…" his voice whispered getting lower.

"My lady, the boat is here to take you to the fortress. Are you ready?" came a voice from outside, breaking into the moment like a hacksaw.

Jannai dropped his hands. "I…umm…happy journey," he mumbled, red faced. "I hope we will meet again."

As Elle nodded slowly, she pondered what in the name of Agni was going on. Behavior here was so strange.

---

Ryan's training with the dao wasn't really all that dissimilar from the stick fighting he'd been made to learn back in the kwoon. Granted, dao was more of a slashing weapon than a stab, but the basic motions were the same. The weapons drills felt good, familiar, like a piece of home had traveled with him.

That was until Zuko had him begin training with two dao at once. _That_ was definitely a foreign experience. Being mindful of two swords at once, where they were in relation to each other and where they should be were definitely not ideas he was used to. Still, as he and Zuko practiced together at night, he found he could get used to it.

Still, though, something struck Ryan as odd. Zuko had obviously used these things for a while. But dao were traditionally a commoner's weapon. They were used by peasant conscripts, not professional soldiers, and definitely not princes. Ryan found that, the more he thought on it, the more curious he became. It really didn't make any sense. Even if it was an insignificant plot contrivance, it still had a reason.

And, sadly, Ryan was the curious type.

After a vigorous night's training, with Ryan catching breath and Zuko staring out to sea, it seemed the best time to ask.

"Begging your Highness' pardon," Ryan said. "I have a question, if you would suffer it."

Zuko turned and nodded to Ryan, his expression as guarded as always.

"These are peasant's weapons," Ryan said carefully. "And you are certainly no peasant. If I may ask, how is it that you came to acquire a working knowledge of these?"

Zuko's eyebrow twitched, and Ryan was afraid that perhaps he'd stepped too far. The moment seemed to stretch before Zuko answered. "I studied on my own," he said. "I believed it would give me an edge. If an assassin were to come, he'd never expect me to be able to use these."

Zuko began to lazily slash in a figure-eight pattern, but Ryan was already analyzing. _You mean_, he thought, _it made you unique. It made you able to do something that other nobles couldn't do. That _she_ couldn't do._ Or, so it seemed. Ryan braced himself for a return question, but nothing was forthcoming. Ryan assumed that Zuko was probably more tired than he was.

---

Elle was in love. She was most ardently and passionately in love with her new quarters. They were like her rooms back in the palace, with comfortable fat pillows, a soft bed and beautiful wall hangings. This place could have given the Hilton hotel a run for its money. She knew she wouldn't be staying long, but that didn't mean she couldn't enjoy the view from her window.

Colonel Shynu was a true gentleman, acting like a doting father when he came to speak to her. "It is a privilege to host you at the fortress. I hope your stay will be pleasant. Are the rooms to your liking?" he asked briskly, his short figure allowing Elle to look him in the eye. 

"Yes, they are perfect," Elle said, bowing her head in greeting.

Shynu bit his lip thoughtfully. "Please understand, young lady, that a war is going on, and I must insist you remain away from certain areas for your own safety," he continued, pacing around the room.

Elle nodded. "It will not be a problem. I'm honored to be your guest. And please, don't hesitate to give me work. I'm Fire Nation too," she said, wondering if she was starting to believe that.

"Of course. Excellent. Maids will be provided for your comfort. According to the Princess's orders, you are to continue to study martial arts, as well as riding. Clothing will be provided to you as well, though feel free to go to the town to purchase ones that suit your fancy," Shynu said, rewarding her with a kind smile.

"I couldn't…I couldn't ask you for more luxuries," Elle mumbled, embarrassed of her poverty. At home, she had a job and could buy things. Here, she was a charity case dependant on the kindness of others.

"Lady Elle, you do realize you can well afford to buy anything you please?" Shynu said in a confused tone. "Your wealth is considerable."

Elle allowed her jaw to drop in a most unladylike manner. "Pardon?" she asked, wondering why she was the last to know anything.

"Your new factories have made much wealth. And according to the princess, half of all profits belong to you. All the other designs you have sent back in your letter, a printing press that has movable letters, the lady's under wraps, you receive a profit from all those inventions," Shynu explained in a bewildered tone. "How could you not know?"

Elle's head buzzed. She was rich. Heck, she was Henry Ford rich! She had never been the shopping sort at home, but then again, she had never been a millionaire before. "I suppose I just…didn't notice," she mumbled, aware of how idiotic that sounded. "May I be allowed a shopping expedition with my new escorts?" she asked, breaking into a smile. Time for a spree!

---

John decided that he hated the creators of this episode. He really, really did. Whoever had come up with the idea of the Canyon Crawlers seriously needed to die in a fire. Especially for making him stay up, listening to these dumb fags whining about their sacred orb all night. Not a good time. And Katara had lapped it all up, despite his warning. Dumb girl.

The fight with the Crawlers would have been a lot better with one of those water pouches, but since he didn't have one he had to make do. Mostly by running around, yelling and cursing when one of the damned things got too close. He resolved to practice his forms even harder for when the next inhuman foe came along.

Eventually, though, the solution presented itself, and he helped to bag a Crawler and ride it out of the canyon. He was tempted to whoop cowboy-style, something daring and heroic like, "Yipee Ki Yay, motherfuckers!" But he was too busy holding on for dear life. Besides, he reflected with a touch of bitterness, nobody would get the reference anyway. Jokes just weren't that funny when he was the only one laughing.

Eventually, they climbed out, and as soon as they were done John saw the two leaders arguing again. As predicted, they drew swords on each other, but Aang dealt with the entire thing very neatly, lying through his teeth. The best part about it, though, was the look on the sibling's faces when they learned about the fake-out.

"I told you," John said to Katara, as they clambered back atop Appa. "You gotta stop taking everything at face value."

"You never said that," Katara said, settling down gracefully. John would have answered if the cry of 'Yip yip!' hadn't sent him sprawling as Appa leapt to the air.

"Well, I should have," John said. "Because it was true, wasn't it? Aang fooled you, the Zhangs and the Gan Jins fooled you, just… you're too easy."

"I am not!" Katara said. "There's nothing wrong with trusting people."

"When trusting the wrong people gets you killed, you may want to rethink that."

"He may have a point," Sokka chimed in. "We both allowed everyone to turn us around. Do our thinking for us. We should be more careful."

"I guess you're right," Katara said with a shrug. She looked at John. "I wonder what _you're_ hiding?"

John grinned. "Absolutely nothing."

_---_

Kishi: The irony here is, really, John isn't hiding anything. He's more brutally honest than I am. Hard to imagine. But then, I don't have to, do I?

Avatar: The Last Airbender is copyrighted to Bryan Konietzko and Michael DiMartino

Ryan, John, and Elle are all real people. For serious.

Special thanks to Hotspur.


	13. Chapter 13

-1Kishi: We takin' the fandom by Storm! Ha ha… ha… right. That's going on the list of 'Puns To Never Use Again.'

---

Kyoudai

Chapter 13:

Who'll Stop the Rain?

---

_Long as I remember, the rain been comin' down.  
Clouds of myst'ry pourin' confusion on the ground.  
Good men through the ages, tryin' to find the sun;  
And I wonder, still I wonder, who'll stop the rain?  
_

_---_

John was rudely awakened by the sound of Aang thrashing in his sleep. He growled. Getting up early was fine, but _earlier_ wasn't on his list of priorities. It sucked. It sucked hard. But now everybody else was waking up too and sleep was looking like something left behind on the horizon. He lay there, on the ground, grinding his teeth as he listened to them talking before they drifted off to sleep.

He wasn't quite sure how, but he did manage to get back to sleep somehow that night because the next time he opened his eyes the sun was up. He sat up, achingly stiff in some places, but everyone was getting up too. No going back to sleep this time. He groggily munched his way through breakfast, not caring if it was rice and nuts _again_. But the meal did help him wake up, and he was polite enough to help Katara do the packing without any of his usual griping.

He couldn't help but glance skyward when Aang talked about how good the flying would be, and he also couldn't keep the grimace off his face when Katara mentioned that they were out of food.

"Guys, wait," Sokka said. "This was in my dream. We shouldn't go to the market."

"What?" John asked. "Food eats people?"

Sokka assumed a wide-eyed stare. "How did you know?"

"A guess. And don't worry. I promise I'll eat the food before it eats you."

"You said the exact same thing in my dream!" Sokka exclaimed. "And… you said some very unkind things."

"What, this is different from normal?"

"Eh. True."

---

The soldiers were laughing at Ryan. He knew it. He knew why, too. These dao were provincial, peasant weapons compared to their beautiful jian blades. A real bodyguard would be training with something worthy of his post. He imagined that, with his slashing movements he seemed more barbarous, less refined.

Well, screw them, he thought. This was what his lord had told him to do. He wasn't going to do anything else. He simply focused, moving through the Twelve Strikes, the Twelve Deflections, and the one sword form he knew. He kept doing it, intently ignoring the shouts behind him. He didn't need distractions.

---

"This is incredible!" Elle exclaimed, as she leaned into the saddle. Riding komodo lizards was incredible, it was much like riding her bike at home besides going at the speed of a car!

"Enjoying yourself?" Captain Jo-Shu asked, her long hair streaming behind her.

"Thank you so much, I could do this forever," Elle answered, urging her new mount to go faster.

"All true sons and daughters of Fire feel at home on the lizards. They once breathed fire, you know," said Private Reiko, another one of Elle's personal escorts. Being around women again was wonderful, suddenly someone else to style her hair, help her dress and didn't mind discussing the finer points of etiquette with you.

"Come on, I'll race you up the hill," Private Zadik, the lone male said, urging his own lizard as well. "Last one there is an Earth peasant!"

As Elle and her new friends dashed up the hills, she marveled at how wonderful life was here. No Commander Zhao annoying her and keeping her in some sick bay, no constant smell of soldiers and the views from the tower was incredible.

She did miss Jannai but all the new recruits had been drawn to her. At first, it had been curiosity at the "seer" but Elle had started spending her money to show a more generous nature. She had plenty of it now and shopping paled in comparison to actual human contact. So she had given three gold pieces to every new recruit, to honor them for protecting their nation. She knew buying friends didn't work in the long run, but better bought friends than isolation.

Still, she had tried to offer her new friends more than her pocket book. She had convinced Colonel Shynu to allow the soldiers a day of rest in honor of the Fire Lord. Everyone was allowed to enjoy themselves and that was how Elle found herself rambling around the countryside on the back of her new pet.

And she couldn't wait for the surprise tonight. She'd win their hearts for sure.

---

Another day, another market. John was sure that these were all separate and wonderfully distinct, but they were really starting to blend together on him. But they had the money to pay for supplies, and it was all right.

"I just realized," Katara said, "we're out of money anyway."

Things were rapidly becoming not-all-right.

"Can't you just play the celebrity card, Aang?" John groused. "People would pay us. Give us food."

"Yeah, but it's supposed to be a secret, remember?" Sokka asked.

"So? We don't keep a secret if we're dead of hunger."

"Oh please," Katara said with a roll of her eyes. "You don't need to be so melodramatic, John. We won't starve."

"Yeah!" Aang chirped. "We can just find what we need in the forest. It won't be the first time."

John remembered what that meant. Nuts. Lots of nuts. Dad would've been in paradise, but this simply wouldn't do for him, not a bit. But before he could contribute, a pair of angry voices intruded. John glanced over to see an old man and woman fighting it out. Something about going fishing and an oncoming storm.

John swore. This was _that_ episode.

"My joints tell me there's going to be a storm!" the old woman said. "A bad one!"

"Well, it's your joints against my brain," the old man replied.

"Then I hope your brain can find someone else to haul that fish, 'cause I ain't comin'!"

"Then I'll find a new fish hauler and pay him double what you get! How do you like that?"

John elbowed Sokka. "Sounds like our chance."

Sokka nodded and ran up to the arguing couple, yelling, "I'll go!"

John was about to join him when he realized that doing so would cost him valuable Katara-stealing time. But then again, Sokka was going into a life-threatening situation, and Aang would have to get there right on time. It was going to be tricky enough as it was, and John knew that by being in any one place he'd alter the flow of events.Well, if that was to be the case, there was only one thing to do then.

John walked over to the old man and asked, "Need an extra hand?"

"Nah," the old man said. "We're good, thanks."

"Well, okay," John said, thinking fast. "I'm not sure you picked the right guy for the job then."

"This isn't hard work," the old man said. "Stinky and smelly, sure, but not hard. Even this kid can do it." Sokka had the grace to look flummoxed at the remark.

"If you say so," John said. "I just thought I oughta let you know, though, that this kid doesn't have any experience with boats, or seagoing conditions. He gets sick at the drop of a wave."

"What?" the old man shouted. "I can't take no sicklies on my boat!"

"I know the feeling," John said. "But he's always wanted to go on a boat, poor kid. So why don't you let me come with you? Help him keep his head. Keep him from blowing chunks on the catch. Whaddaya say?"

"You're hired!" The old man stalked off. Sokka, though, sidled up with a sour expression.

"What'd you say that for?"

"You don't need to know," John said with a shrug. "Just be glad I'm not asking to split the pay with you."

---

A cooler breeze than normal blew across the deck, and Ryan paused in his movements. He stared out across the ocean, looking for clouds… and found them. Found loads of them, big and black and angry.

"Storm coming," he murmured, and blinked. Oh. So this was going to be _that_ episode. Which meant… Ryan turned to look back toward the command tower, and there was Lieutenant Jee, smugly talking to the prince. Ryan didn't want to appear untoward, so he kept up with his motions, concentrating intently.

When the ringing of steel echoed across the deck, though, he had no choice. He dropped out of stance and warily strode over to where the fight was brewing. But by the time he got there, both combatants had turned contemptuously from each other. Jee shot Ryan a poisonous look as he stalked past, but Ryan simply met it until Jee turned away.

He sidled up to Iroh and asked, "My Lord, is everything all right?"

"Hm? Oh, yes. I'm afraid we're all tired, and it's weighing us down," Iroh said with a sigh.

"I guess so," Ryan said. "How fares the Prince? He hasn't had need of me in some time."

"The same as the rest," Iroh replied. "The problem of the Avatar is a terrible burden for him. Some days he bears it well. Others, though…"

"I see." Ryan was reminded of a passage about the cycle of moods in people. "Well, this too shall pass, milord," he finally said.

"This is true. In any case, you should be getting back to your training."

Ryan bowed and returned to his spot. His teachers would be furious if they came back to see him standing about.

---

"To Fire Lord Ozai and Princess Azula, may they rule us for ten thousand years," Elle said, raising her glass of sake. The hall had been decorated with long red and gold tapestries, making it look homey and festive. Of course, the smell of the traditional Fire Nation feast definitely contributed to the home-like atmosphere.

"To the royal family," the soldiers echoed, raising their glasses high all around her. They were out of uniform and looked a lot more friendly and welcoming without metal armor. A few of the women had even put flowers in their hair. Elle almost imagined she was home, with normal people who didn't have the ability to fry her.

"What a lovely Fire party," Colonel Shynu said, walking over to her. "And how generous for you to pay for it yourself. The soldiers' morale has never been higher."

Elle blushed. "It's my pleasure. I have never been happier than under your hospitality," she said, bowing slightly to indicate her gratitude. "Please enjoy the food."

"How could I not? Fire Flakes, I haven't had these in years," the Colonel said with a rich laugh.

"Thank you, Lady Elle. This party is wonderful," one of the captains said. 

"And what lovely music!" another said, his plate piled with food and a few drops of sauce on his mustache.

"I'm glad you are enjoying yourself," Elle said, bowing to each of them. "You are the heroes of our nation, you deserve it."

"You must visit my home town when I am back from the war. My mother cooks the finest roast boar," one soldier said, winking at her. "We could share some."

Elle tried to avoid gagging over roast boar. That was just way too nauseating.

"Too bad Commander Zhao is coming soon," another said drunkly, his breath stinking of sake. "He won't be as kind as you."

Elle sighed. She knew he would come but she knew that meant a return to the ship and the boring life of being a healer. Still, she wouldn't let it ruin the wonderful party. "At least we'll be bringing civilization to people."

"Lady Elle, tell us one of your stories," Jo-Shu called. "Finish the one about Ar-Tur and his wonderful round table."

---

John didn't have much to say as the clouds crept closer on the horizon. He simply picked up another box and hauled it to the boat, setting it down on the port side. Aang was talking with Sokka - probably saying that they shouldn't go or something. Truthfully, he was with the kid on this one. Keeping his word was one thing, but keeping it for getting killed over a bunch of fish? John had figured Sokka would have a little more sense. Then again, he'd been wrong before.

Suddenly, John heard yelling. He turned back to watch - ah. There was the old man, ranting at Aang. Of course, there was Katara, standing in defense, eyes ablaze and so strangely blue… John shook his head. _What the hell? Her eyes have always been blue. It's not like that changed from the show or something_. Honestly, this drive to bone was making a right mess of things in his head.

And there was Aang, flying away. Katara stormed off, with the old man spitting defiantly.

"Hey, they left without saying good-bye!" Sokka said.

"Your friends ain't too polite, are they?" the old man asked.

"I know! This one time, I was-"

"Sokka, oi!" John shouted. "Help me get this thing below deck!" Sokka shook his head and helped John grab a particularly largely-sized box. As they wrestled it down below-deck, he could hear the old man muttering.

"Damned Avatar," he growled, "running away when the world needed him most. Everything is _his_ fault. A hundred years of suffering because that punk couldn't do what he had to do."

Normally, John would have agreed, but ripping the Avatar was _his_ job. He'd have no squatters.

"Well, he's only twelve," John said.

"So?"

"He's a kid, for Chrissake. You want to save the world at twelve years old?"

"Since it ain't my job to save the world, it ain't for me to worry about. I was doin' this job since afore I was twelve. If I been doin' what I'm supposed to be, why does he get off the hook?"

John was about to respond that fishing was damn fun when you were twelve, but he caught Sokka's glance and the slight shaking of the head. Fighting too much would cost them the job. He shrugged. Whatever. They'd lose this man before the day was through anyway. The thoughts of the conflict soon faded as John lost himself in the task of fishing. The old man had to handle the finer points of setting course and staying to it, but he was gracious enough to leave the heavy tasks to John and Sokka. And once he got his sea legs on, his job was to help cast and haul the nets. The coiled bunches were plenty heavy. John could imagine how it'd go when they were full of fish.

He'd just set himself down, enjoying the rapidly cooling breeze. He heard Sokka's steps and looked up as the young man sat down next to him.

"There's something I've been meaning to ask you," he said. John looked at him, waiting. "Where did you really come from? I've seen eyes like yours, but I've never seen hair quite like that."

John sighed, stretching himself out, black t-shirt and black cotton pants sticking to him. "A long time from now," he said. "I'm from a point so far ahead that you're considered a fairy tale."

"What! You mean people don't think we're real?"

"I know. You should complain to someone about this."

"You're right! But who? I wonder…" John sighed and let the sound of Sokka's voice drive right over him as he closed his eyes.

---

The storm rocked the metal walls of the ship. Ryan could feel the rise and fall of the ship on the waves, and his stomach lurched with each and every movement. He'd retired to his cell and sat now on the cot in the lotus position. His hanfu-style 'finery' wasn't for every day and was folded in a corner, and the red vest he'd worn for training was soaked through with sweat. He'd laid it aside before sitting down.

Now, with the single candle lit, Ryan was focusing again on the control, on achieving the thoughtless control. Summoning fire as an expression of thoughtless emotion wasn't that difficult anymore. The greater difficulty was in channeling that emotion to something useful. No wonder these people were so disciplined. They had to be. Anything less and they'd be torn apart.

_Breathe in… the flame goes down… breathe out… the flame goes up…_ This was simple. A simple exercise for a simple man. He could devote all his concentration here and not have to worry about everything else that was going on, about where Elle and John were and how they were doing and if they were safe and…

The candle flared up out of control. Ryan closed his eyes and took a deep breath, exhaling slowly. _I am the flame, _came the thought, dancing along the edge. _I am fire. I burn, all day long, clean and strong. I will burn the fear from myself_. _Breathe in… breathe out…_

---

Elle cuddled up into her warm bed, reveling in the silk sheets and the soft quilt that covered her. She had a perfect day and now, she was about to get some much needed sleep. Riding and the party had tired her out considerably.

"Is she sleeping?" Elle heard someone ask outside her door. It sounded like Colonel Shynu.

'Yes sir. Could barely keep her head up long enough to get the combs out of her hair," the guard answered in an affectionate tone.

"Commander Zhao arrived and wanted to see if she was well. I think we should let her rest. She can see him in the morning," Colonel Shynu answered briskly. "Carry on."

Outside her window, she could hear some drunken singing. "Lord of the Sun, with you, we are one, for who can stand before you? One nation, one empire, under the sun," they sang, to the song she had wrote that once described Elle's proud ancestor. Now it descried the people of her new home.

Elle's last thoughts before she went to sleep were happy. She was finally in a place where she found joy and companionship. It was almost like home…

---

The storm was bad. Really bad. And while John had good air legs and usable sea-legs, he found his stomach was another matter entirely. The waves were rising higher and the wind was blowing fiercely, as if it had a mind to tear the sail out of its rigging. But the old man was implacable. He merely relayed the orders to haul, and John and Sokka had no choice but to obey.

Sadly, though, John had underestimated the difficulty of this task. Hauling the fish in relatively calm conditions would have been hard enough, but now the nets were dragging out all over the place with the currents pulling at them. Even with Sokka's help, pulling was just difficult. It was a curious sensation, the burning of his muscles with the stinging cold of the rain, but it wasn't necessarily unpleasant.

"Sokka!" the old man shouted over the roar of the sea. "Help me steer this thing!"

John seethed as this left him to haul the last bit on his own. A huge wave rose and slammed into the back of the boat, knocking John to the deck. He sat up, fighting the pain and the nausea to discover at last a piece of good fortune: the last bit of the catch had been thrown up on deck. And even better - no fish. Less hauling. Finally, something going his way during this crummy episode!

---

The loud boom of thunder echoing through the ship snapped Ryan out of his trance. The ship was rocking harder than ever. He had a feeling that at this point, all hands were needed on deck. Granted, he wasn't a sailor, but that didn't excuse him from his duties.

He grabbed his vest and tried to dash out of his room and through the corridors. But with the entire ship rocking back and forth, just _walking_ without slamming into the sides was hard. He earned a few bruises for his trouble, but in the end he was able to stumble up on deck - and just in time to see lightning strike the command tower and bounce off. _That must have been Iroh_, he thought. He looked around wildly, trying to see what could be done, but since this was an iron ship and nothing seemed to need battening down, he really didn't see what he could do.

He peered out into the rain-wracked skies and tossing waves and fancied that he could see something flying on its own. A crash of water rocked him and he stumbled for his balance, and when he looked again, he saw clearly - it was Appa! John must be close by! He entertained the notion of swimming out to meet him, but this idea lasted about as quickly as a bolt of lightning. Much as he wanted to be with his brother again, he knew there was no hope for that. Not this time.

It didn't stop him from shouting, "My Lord! The Avatar!" Who knew? Maybe if they could get close enough, he could jump ship, or get his brother in, something, anything. He knew that Zuko only had one real choice at this point, though, and he wasn't surprised when the ship stubbornly refused to turn. He merely took a deep brreath and braced himself against the wind and the waves.

_I keep getting closer and closer. I _will _make it. We _will_ get back home. I swear it!_

---

Kishi: I know, I know - this just seemed to go on and on. The real heroes here are Zuko and Aang, but when they've got these internal revolutions of character going it's really hard to make the RL folk really interesting. Thanks for sticking around! Next chapter'll make it totally worth your while, or your money back! Guranteed!

…

But… I'm not making any money off of this. Speaking of which:

Avatar: The Last Airbender is copyrighted to Bryan Konietzko and Michael DiMartino.

Ryan, John, and Elle are real people. Scary thought, huh?

Special thanks to Hotspur for her contributions.

Special thanks to Acastus for his transcription of the episode, and the other fine folks at Avatar Spirit. The only way you _don't_ know this site is if you live under a rock. If you do happen to live under a rock, go check 'em out!

The character Jo-Shu is our way of saying 'Thank you!' to the reviewer Habit! Thank you so much for reading!


	14. Chapter 14

Kishi: Aw, man, this is a great chapter! You'll be glad you stuck around for this one. By the way, everyone, this chapter is dedicated to the reviewer Habit. Shout out! You ain't gonna be sick forever!

---

Kyoudai

Chapter 14

---

I'm stupid , you're smarter  
I'm stupid, thinking there's a way  
this could turn out right

-Abandoned Pools

Elle watched the soon to be Admiral Zhao and Colonel Shynu talking. It was a pity such a nice man was about to slammed down, but she supposed Zhao would be dead in a few episodes anyway.

As she learned out the window, she noticed a shadowy figure climbing up the walls. Elle smiled, knowing exactly who that was. Taking the stone she had picked up in the garden, she lobbed it at the ninja and waved at him.

Before she could see his reaction to her little greeting, she felt a pair of hands spin her around. "Hello, Lady Elle," a familiar face said, smiling down at her.

"Jannai, you always manage to find me," Elle said, bowing slightly to him. "How good to see you again."

"I haven't stopped thinking about you," Jannai said, still keeping her hands on her shoulders. He looked wonderful, his hair was newly styled and he seemed, frankly, glowing. "You look…beautiful."

"Yeah, the food and the environment have definitely suited me better than the ship, doctor. Glad I'm recovering," Elle said with a laugh.

Jannai still had that weird smile on his face. "Tomorrow, I want to speak to you alone in your rooms. I have something wonderful to tell you and I have to make some preparations ready," he said softly.

"I like surprises. Any hints?" Elle asked. She hoped it would be another nice gift like her trusty healer's belt.

"You will be very happy," Jannai said, squeezing her shoulder affectionately. "I can swear to that."

---

Son of a _bitch_. John wanted to roar a curse out loud over the situation, but just as Sokka had lost his mind, John had lost his speech. He had to settle for glaring balefully at anything that moved. It was getting darker out, too, and colder, and somehow John was feeling it more today than usual.

_Of all the times to get sick_, he groused. _Of all the times for mom to be right. No way I'm catching my death of this thing, that's for sure._ Still, though, he was tired enough that it felt like he could fall asleep and not wake up again. He decided to stay awake by watching Katara busy herself at the campfire. He watched her hands, followed the curve of her back and flow of her braid. Now, if she'd just stretch her back _just _so…

So what if she was jailbait for him? He would have been happy to go to jail for her.

Aang, however, interrupted her, coming back with a whoosh.

"How are they doing?" he asked her.

"Not so good. Being out in the storm really knocked them out." The two well people looked up at the two sick people, and John glared at Aang.

"Has John been looking like that all day?" Aang asked.

"Yeah," Katara said. "He hasn't been able to say a word." Fortunately, looks couldn't kill.

"Well, as it is," Aang said, pulling a scroll from somewhere, "I was able to find a map." He spread the scroll out on the ground, and he and Katara began to speak in quieter tones.

"Hey, John," Sokka said, a delirious smile on his face, "I think I'mma Earth Bend something right now." John quirked an eyebrow at that, but was otherwise powerless to move. A heartfelt hacking could be heard, suddenly, and John looked down to see Katara coughing. And while he didn't change from a ball of smoldering generic rage, he _did_ manage to find some worry in him for the girl. After all, if she was sick, who was going to get him back to being well? It certainly wasn't going to be the Gravel Bending Wonder here, or whatever Sokka was calling himself.

He shut his eyes and prayed that when he woke up, this would all be over.

---

They had just left another port of call. And once again, there was no sign of the Avatar. Ryan didn't heave a sigh - it wasn't proper decorum, really - but it _was_ kind of boring with no finding the kid. Honestly, Zuko was so very focused to the point of being uneventful unless, surprise surprise, it had to do with the Avatar. No wonder he got so little screen time in the first season.

Suddenly, there was a huge shadow looming over everything. Ryan blinked in the dark and looked up to see a big ship looming over them. _Big_ ship. Ryan wondered if Fire Nation men were compensating for something with ships that size.

Zuko walked over to the starboard side, every inch the prince, as if he wasn't impressed at all. Ryan followed, behind by two feet and eyes roving, waiting for a threat. The closest he got to it, though, was a gangplank that was lowered onto the ship. A figure in the formidable spiked armor was standing at the top, and Ryan watched him descend at a stately pace. The bodyguards around this figure had a grimly set look about them, and Ryan noticed that they gripped their weapons in whitely knuckled hands.

"What do they want?" Zuko pondered aloud.

"Perhaps a sporting game of Pai Sho!" Iroh said, clapping his hands together delightedly. Ryan prepared himself to zone out for the formalities of this episode, but when the herald began to speak he was called back to focus immediately.

"I have a message for the occupants of this ship. The hunt for the Avatar has been given prime importance." She lowered the scroll. _She_ lowered it. Ryan took a careful look and caught the eyes - blue. _Elle?_ he thought. But she continued, "All information regarding the Avatar must be reported directly to Admiral Zhao."

"Zhao has been promoted?" Iroh asked idly. "Well, good for him!"

"Indeed," Elle said. "I always hope to see people getting what they deserve." _You're a stunning actress_, Ryan thought.

"Excuse me," Zuko cut in, "but who exactly are you?"

"Elle," she replied. "Handmaiden to her highness, Princess Azula, and her most humble and obedient servant." Ryan noticed Zuko frown at the mention of his sister, but that was to be expected. That wasn't anything to worry about. The real worry was about how to talk to Elle without arousing suspicion.

Fortunately, Zuko seemed eager to be a part of the solution. "I've got nothing to report," he said tersely. "Now get off my ship and let us pass."

Elle didn't quail a bit, and Ryan was impressed. "Admiral Zhao is not allowing ships in or out of this area," she said, her voice cool.

"Off my ship!" Zuko barked.

"Now now!" Iroh said cheerily. "There is no need for such haste. Ryan, kindly see our guests off the ship." Ryan bowed to the old general as Zuko stalked off.

He turned back to Elle and her guards and bowed. "Beggin' your pardon," he said, "but this humble one requests permission to see you back to your ship."

"You may," she said. She began to turn back to the gangplank when, for some reason, she managed to stumble. Ryan honestly couldn't see how. His sea legs didn't really register waves anymore. But there she was, and without thinking he reached out his hand to hers. She pulled against his grip a bit as she settled back to normal, but she was standing just fine after a moment.

"Thank you," she said, gently pulling her hand from his, and as her fingers left his hand he felt paper. He didn't get much time to reflect upon this. He was shoved away, hard, the guards wearing stony faces. Bleak, even. What was that about?

He walked away and nearer to Iroh, who was collecting his pot from the Pai Sho games.

"That was rather well done," Iroh remarked.

"I hope so," Ryan said, staring at the paper. "I don't know all the bits of royal protocol."

"I was referring more to her slipping you that piece of paper."

"Oh, that," Ryan said, grinning nervously. Before he could say anything else, though, Zuko had swiped the note from him and had unfolded it.

"What is Azula's handmaiden doing giving you notes?" he asked.

"You've got me, Lord," Ryan said. "Who knows what a seer is thinking?"

"Hmm. It'd take a seer to read this anyway. It's useless." He crumpled the paper and threw it back at Ryan. He caught it without a word and dutifully followed his prince.

---

"Katara… water… please…"

John ground his teeth. Today was climbing up and down his last nerve, and he was damned sure that this was it. He was going to crack. He was going to have to kill something soon.

"Listen carefully, Momo," Katara began, but John wasn't going to have that. Oh, hell no. He took a deep breath and forced himself up to a sitting position.

"John?" Katara asked. "What are you doing?"

John couldn't answer. He thrust his arm out and gestured for her to give him the water skin.

"John, don't worry about it," Katara said. "Momo can take care of this."

John wanted to say that he trusted that lemur like he trusted a cat, but his voice didn't work so what could he do? At that moment a gust of wind blew through, and he was reduced to a shivering wreck again.

"John, you really shouldn't," Katara tried to say, her voice being more a whisper than anything. John's body seemed to agree on this point. It didn't seem that he could follow any other course but to just lay back down again. And be cold. Dammit.

---

Ryan followed Zuko's movements in the kata. The coordination of breath and flame was getting easier to get used to, on account of all his prior training in northern Shaolin. It still wasn't to the degree that Zuko had it. He couldn't create the great gouts of flame that the Prince could, but it was getting better.

"Is everything okay?" Iroh's voice asked from somewhere Ryan couldn't see. "It's been almost an hour and you haven't given the men an order."

"I don't care what they do," Zuko said, dropping out of stance.

"Don't give up hope yet. You can still find the Avatar before Zhao."

"How, Uncle?" Zuko asked, and for the first time Ryan saw something less-than-certain in his features. It didn't suit the young man at all. "With Zhao's resources, it's just a matter of time before he captures the Avatar." He turned to face out to the sea, walking over to the side of the ship.

Ryan followed him and caught up just in time to catch Zuko whispering something. "My Lord," Ryan said. "Your uncle is right. This is not the time to give up hope."

"What choice do I have?" Zuko asked. "Zhao's got every advantage. He has a fleet, soldiers, scouts, spies. He has everything he needs."

"Those are all irrelevant in the face of something else," Ryan said. "Zhao has a friend of mine under his employ."

"That girl?" Zuko asked. Then his eyes narrowed. "Of course. She's a seer from your world, isn't she?"

"I don't know if I'd call her that," Ryan said, "but she knows a lot about this place. I know she's using her insights to help Zhao."

"She must be. He'll know where the Avatar is before the Avatar does."

"Indeed, my Lord. It makes more sense to deprive them of such a resource, does it not?"

"Yes," Zuko said, stroking his chin thoughtfully. "Permanently."

Ryan felt something in his chest seize at the thought. "M-my Lord," he stammered, "you surely can't mean assassination?"

Zuko gave Ryan a hard look.

---

Elle let her hair out of her bun and let it flow around her shoulders. The helmet had given her a headache and standing with Zhao on that horrible podium in military uniform as he ranted about fire being the superior element had given her even more of a migraine. She had tried to visit the Avatar to finally see him, but Zhao had decided that it was too much of a security risk. On the show, he seemed suave and sexy, but in real life, he was just a boor.

She had trying to figure how to remove the heavy armor from her waist and shoulders when she heard a knock at her door. "Lady Elle, may I come in?" That's right, Jannai had wanted to speak to her.

She opened the door and waved him inside. "Right in time. Can you help me with this armor? Everyone else is on security detail, because of the Avatar," she explained, turning around so he could those shoulder pads off her because she collapsed.

"I think you look lovely in armor," Jannai said, deftly untying the leather prison strings that captured her. His hands shook as they freed her. "You haven't gotten used to the weight?"

"I told you, at home, I never wore armor," Elle said as Jannai's hands went to her waist to untie her over-skirt. She looked up into his golden eyes and instantly felt safe again. He had been very kind to her. "You seem to enjoy wearing it, though." Oh, being out of uniform felt wonderful!

"It's a uniform. I don't exactly have a choice," Jannai said sheepishly, reaching into his cloak and pulling out a bouquet of flowers and shoving it into her hands.

Elle smiled and tried to breathe in the scent. "I missed you," she said, touched at how thoughtful her friend could be.

"Well, you will never have to miss me again. I have wonderful news for you," Jannai said, taking her hand just as Elle heard a click behind her.

Turning around, Elle was only slightly surprised to see the Blue Spirit in her window. She knew he would be showing up, a certain banished Fire Bender had a mission to do.

"Get behind me," Jannai hissed, forming a flame in his hand as he lowered himself into a fighting stance.

"It's fine, this is Pri…" she began. She never got the chance to finish her word. Zuko had grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her to him, pinning her with one arm across her chest. The other hand…held a blade that was pressing into her neck.

Jannai stared at her, white-faced. "Let her go. She's no threat to you. Put down the sword," he said in a low voice. "She's just an unarmed woman. Show honor and fight me."

Elle felt the blade press harder into her throat, forcing her to raise her chin. This was not going well. "Please…don't hurt me," she rasped, finding it hard to breathe. The arm pressing into her chest wasn't exactly comfortable either.

"I'm not leaving her," Jannai said in a low tone. "If you want Elle as a hostage, you can keep me too. And if you hurt her, I will kill you myself."

The blade was pressing against her windpipe now and it was starting to hurt. Elle was trying to stay strong to keep herself from crying but a small whimper of fear had already escaped. Wasn't Prince Zuko supposed to be misunderstood?

Jannai had taken a small step closer. "You will never be able to get out of the fortress. Thousands of soldiers are here and they all are here to protect her life. If you just give her up, we'll turn a blind eye and let you leave," he explained, sweating visibly. "Why throw your life away to kill her? It won't help you resistance. It will only bring the wrath of Princess Azula down harder on your people. Women and children will suffer for her blood. It's not worth it."

Elle wanted to scream that this wasn't a resistance fighter, it was Prince Zuko and frankly, the wrath of Azula was exactly why he was doing this!

Still, it seemed to work. Prince Zuko hauled her forward as if to give her over to Jannai. She was going to have a serious talk with Azula about slapping sense into her stupid brother.

Then it happened. A blink of her eye and the sword was removed from her throat and used it to bash her friend over the head with a sickening crack.

Jannai crumpled to the floor. Elle flinched as Blue Spirit rounded on her. She had her hands in front of her face and screamed for one agonizing second before a hand clapped over her mouth and pressed hard as he dragged her to the door, most likely to haul her off to capture Aang as well! She hadn't actually pitied the Avatar till now, being a prisoner now herself.

"Lady Elle, are you all right?" voices said outside the door. "We heard some scuffling and a scream!"

Elle gasped and struggled, unable to scream for help. Using his free hand, Zuko pushed the bolt down on the door, hissing angrily under his breath and nudged her, removing his hand. "I'm fine…" Elle said in a high false voice.

"Are you sure? You sound shaky," Reiko asked, knocking again. "Shall I have tea brought for you?"

"No, I'll be fine." Elle didn't even bother asking for help. Those Dao swords would make hamburger out of her, long before her guards could break down the wall.

The Blue Spirit nodded and pushed her onto one of the sitting cushions, facing away from him. She felt the ninja prince take her wrists and pull them behind her. She bit her lip and didn't say anything as a rope wrapped around her wrists. He might just leave her tied up here and go find Aang. She could deal with that. Jannai would get help. Everything would be all right.

After securing her wrists so tightly that they began to tingle, Elle was dragged from her seat forward to the window. A rope was tied around the bedpost and Zuko then threw the other end of the rope out the window. A vice-like grip still held her arm, and it was starting to really hurt!

Once she saw that great depth, all the terror that had frozen her poured forward. She shied away from him, trying to pull away. "Don't! Please don't!" she begged, terrified he would hurt her. "I'm scared, I'll fall, I'll fall and you can't do this, stop!"

The Masked Ninja had his hand over her mouth again before she could get the last word out. Motioning for her to be silent, he picked up her up and shoved her over his shoulder. Elle was sure she was going to throw up. Heights always made her queasy and so did being kidnapped. She prayed that the Yuuyan archers find them, so they wouldn't miss and hit her too!

---

"Water…" Sokka moaned.

"Momo should be back any minute," Katara said. John couldn't care less. He was currently laying snug beside her, her arms wrapped around him to keep him warm. The lemur could stay out for a while yet.

---

Going down the wall had been miserable, considering Elle couldn't even hold on. The rope had swung about terribly, which had caused already brought tears to her eyes.

Then it was a horrible run through the forest. Didn't Zuko want Aang? Why was he capturing her? Unless he planned to trade her for Aang, which made sense. A stupid, risky plan, but this was Zuko after all.

Elle weighed her options frenziedly in her mind. She could remain docile and trussed like some Thanksgiving fowl, completely at some deranged prince's mercy and hope he didn't do something foolish that got her killed. Or she could take her life into her own hands and pray that Zuko didn't strangle the life out of her if she failed. He had a temper!

She twisted her hands, biting her lip to hide the pain the chafing was causing until she could reach into her belt. Saying a quick prayer in case God existed in this realm, she pulled out the satchel of river blossoms and hid it in her sleeve. Then she began to squirm and struggle, as loud as she could.

The Blue Spirit kept on doggedly, but eventually she became too much for him. He set her down. Elle stared up, eyes wide and finding nothing in that shadowy gaze. If she was going to break loose, it was now or never.

She closed her eyes, took a breath and dropped her satchel. The effect was loud and immediate - a boom, and a grainy feeling like drops of dry rain. She stumbled backward, coughing, eyes watering. She just hoped that Zuko had gotten his. From the sound of it, the boy had. Teach him to kidnap her!

She blinkingly stared at him, kneeling on the ground and coughing fiercely. It was just too much for him, though - he ripped off his mask and flung it away, rubbing at his eyes. And just wait until she told Zhao _exactly_ who it was who'd kidnapped her. Oh, he'd be sorry-

Except that Zuko's hair was brown and blonde, and there wasn't a scar.

_What?_ And then the pit of Elle's stomach dropped out from beneath her. No, no, this wasn't right! This wasn't right at all!

---

Ryan heard her turn and start to stumblingly run away. His eyes were teary, but he stood up despite the burning in his nose and chest and looked. She wasn't doing too bad for a half-terrified girl with her hands tied behind her back. But he couldn't just let her go, either.

He ran after her, caught up to her inside of four reckless bounds and managed to get a hand to her shoulder. He grabbed at her arm and ground them both to a halt. She was still struggling, pulling with all her strength. Ryan managed to get his hand to her other shoulder and pull her around.

He was about to say something suave and dashing; he _had_ rescued her after all. But the teary, gasping face before him stopped him right in his tracks.

"Elle," he panted through the peppery haze. "Elle, relax-"

"Get away from me! I trusted you!" Elle hissed, her eyes wide with terror

"Well, what else was I going to do?" he asked. "I had to get you out of there somehow."

"You tried to kill me! You put a sword to my throat!" she shrieked. "Hurt my friend, manhandle me out the window! What the hell were you thinking?"

"I was trying to rescue you!"

"By nearly getting me killed? You…" And then she started to swear at him in Yiddish. Ryan knew what this meant. This was that special level of anger reserved for irrevocable stupidity. He knew it by sound almost perfectly. He just let it wash over him, shrugging it off in his head. He had a schedule to keep, after all, and much as he wanted to sit down with her and explain all of this, he didn't have the time.

"You know, you're probably right," he said when she stopped to take a breath. "Now are you done?"

"Untie me!"

"No, can't do it. I promise, you can hate me later, but right now I don't have the time." He guided her venomous, shrieking, sputtering form over to a nearby tree. Unwinding the rope, he quickly bound her to the tree. She was trying to squirm her way out of it, but Ryan held her solidly. He hoped he was gentle enough - he didn't want to hurt her, really - but she was making this so darn _complicated_.

As he tied off the binding, he realized that she could probably be heard for a mile all around. Thinking quickly, he reached to one of her sleeves, the shoulder peeking over the rope. He ripped some of the fabric off, ignoring her squawk of protest as he ripped the entire shoulder of her robe away. It finally pulled away and he stuffed it in her mouth when she opened up to yell again.

"There," he said. "I promise, this will be over quickly. I know this isn't comfortable, but I can't risk you blowing my cover. I promise, there's a very good reason for this. Once everything's done tonight, I'll come back for you." He looked her over once more, nodded, and walked away.

---

"John? What are you doing with my sister?"

_Shut up, Sokka. Let me enjoy the moment._

---

Ryan ran through the woods. His feet were silent on the foliage at his feet. His mask was back on and the swords were strapped to his back. He felt he could sum up is feelings in only one word - badass. He'd fulfilled every red blooded American nerd's dream of storming the tower, rescuing the damsel in distress, and making a daring getaway. Yes sir, this night was going grandly.

He made it to the main path leading to the castle just in time for the dust cloud to go up. Good. That meant Aang knew who the Blue Spirit was. He pulled his mask off and entered into the cloud, coughing a bit as he passed through. But it was only a few steps to the center, and he was able to see Aang kneeling over Zuko.

"Aang!" Ryan called softly. Aang looked up, and his eyes widened at the sight of another man in black. Before the young monk could do anything, though, Ryan put fist to palm and bowed. "Forgive my intrusion. I'm Ryan. My brother John is traveling with you, yes?"

"Oh! You're John's brother?"

"Yeah," Ryan said. "And we gotta get outta here. I need your help getting another friend of mine to safety." Aang should have hesitated, but being John's brother seemed to work to Ryan's advantage for once. The boy simply nodded, hoisting the unconscious Prince onto his shoulders. They were on the run again, veering off into the forest and moving amongst the trees. Ryan didn't bother to look behind to the dust cloud, but he was sure everything would be all right. Zhao had stopped there in the episode, and there wasn't any reason to assume he'd do anything different this time.

He didn't know how long they were at it, but eventually they got to where the trees were tall and stretching to the sky. Aang seemed to think this was as good a place as any other, for he stopped and laid Zuko down to rest against the tree.

"Where's your friend?" Aang asked.

"Follow me," Ryan replied, and he was moving his feet again, ignoring the burning in his lungs. The dark velvety shade of up above was fading into something just a hair lighter, and dawn was coming. If he couldn't get to her before daybreak, getting Elle out would be a pain and a half.

They darted through the trees, shadows in a crowd of shadow. Ryan wondered in the back of his mind exactly how this kid could do it. He felt sure that they were close to Elle, though, in any case, so this would be over soon and there was torchlight up ahead and his heart was beating too fast for it to be just the run.

There was a conveniently placed bush. Ryan dove and rolled up behind it, peering through the branches. Fire Nation soldiers were there, four on lookout while another two were cutting Elle free. Here in the firelight, she looked particularly pale, but she didn't look fearful at all. She had a different look on her face, and Ryan was shocked to see it. The girl seemed to be relieved.

As he looked, things about her started to leap out. Her clothes were ripped. Her hair was an absolute mess, limp and ragged. She wasn't limping, but she was walking stiffly. He had a feeling that, somehow, it wasn't all just from her being tied up.

He looked at Aang, seeing the Air Bender shaking his head.

"That poor girl," he said. "Who would do such a thing! Tying her up in the dead of night with all the animals out here?"

"Probably a bad man," Ryan said softly.

"I know!"

Ryan looked harder until he saw more firelight approaching. Ryan was still sure that he could take them if he was quick, if he grabbed Elle and ran as fast as they could, it'd be all right. But he couldn't put Aang in danger. Rescuing Elle presented a much greater danger to the timeline than leaving her as it was.

Aang looked like he was ready to leap. Ryan felt it in his chest when he grabbed the monk at the back and pulled him back.

"What are you doing?" Aang asked.

"We can't take her now," Ryan said, his voice dull. "She's in bad shape. Probably shook up pretty bad, and she looks hurt. Even if we got through those soldiers, we couldn't move her quick enough. You can't be captured again."

"But we can't just-"

"Oh yes we can," Ryan hissed. He glared at Aang, dead in the eye. "There's too much at stake. I can't run the risk of you being captured again. We're getting out of here."

The soldiers began to take her away, wrapping a blanket around her. She looked so small inside of it. And as he watched her, replaying the events over and over in his mind, he suffered a terrible clarity. Everything that had happened tonight was his fault. This rescue hadn't been a rescue at all. He'd terrified her, carried her off into the dark like a common thief. He'd left her tied up in the dark to go help Zuko free the Avatar.

It was like his brother would have said. This was fucked up beyond all recognition. Ryan could only sit, though, feeling it in his chest as though a hole had punched right through him.

---

Elle stared numbly into the fire, trying to avoid being drawn into the yelling match going on in front of her. She was too miserable to even think straight.

"How could this have happened? The avatar was completely secure," Zhao was howling at his helpless staff.

"We were so busy trying to find Lady Elle, we barely noticed that he had returned," Colonel Shynu explained.

"And you? You call yourself a seer? Why didn't you see this?" Zhao demanded, turning on her as always.

Elle hung her head. "I can't see everything," she whispered. She couldn't see betrayal from people she trusted.

"That's obvious. How could you not even see who kidnapped you?" Zhao demanded, towering over her.

"She's traumatized, sir. Maybe with rest, her mind could clear and she might remember," a bandaged Jannai said, taking her hand.

"And, you, you idiot? You were in the room with her, why couldn't you have stopped him?" Zhao shouted. "Arrest him!"

Elle suddenly shot to her feet, still shaking. "NO! Don't touch him! If you can't guarantee my safety, then stop blaming the people who follow you for your mistakes. Lay one hand on him and I swear I will go to Azula herself and tell her exactly how you let an enemy of the Fire Nation kidnap me and save the Avatar, how you refused to listen to my council and how inept you are!" she shrieked, slightly hysterical.

Zhao glared wrathfully down at her. "Well…I would hate to upset you, dear lady. Here, let me open up the window and get you some fresh air," he sneered, flinging open the curtains.

Elle watched in sick fascination to see bodies swinging from the ramparts, their dark shapes twisting in the wind. He couldn't have…

"Your guards won't fail you again," Zhao smirked. "Perhaps that will refresh your memory."

Elle just stared at the vision, trembling inside and out. One of the corpses was bleeding…thank God, she had bad vision and couldn't make out the faces. Still…blood, heights, kidnapping… She could feel the remains of her dinner come into her mouth and…all over Zhao's shoes.

---

Ryan trooped wearily into his cell, and shut the door behind him. He didn't know if he'd be able to pull the 'No Disturbances' thing that Zuko had done, but he was tired enough that he didn't think anything would wake him. He pulled his shirt off, feeling grimy and dirty. It had more to do with than just sweat, though. He wanted to bathe, but he was so _tired_ inside, like whatever inner force that kept his muscles moving was just gone.

He'd put Elle's note on his pillow. He sat down on the bed and unfolded it, leaning against the cold metal wall as he read.

_Ryan! I miss you so much. Don't give up hope! We're all counting on you. I _know_ you can make this happen. I believe in you – Elle_

Ryan hadn't even made it halfway before his eyes started to burn. He finished reading and something that resembled a sigh ripped out of his throat.

"God," he whispered. "Oh, God. What have I done?"

---

Colonel Shynu was at least comforting. He had her taken back to her room, and had insisted that she take a long hot bath and get clean.

Now wrapped in a nightgown, Elle tried to stop shaking. A maid was brushing her hair to calm her down, trying to talk to her. "Think warm thoughts. Think of fire and family and good things," the maid whispered sympathetically.

"Lady Elle? May I speak to you?" Colonel Shynu said, knocking on the open door.

"Of course," Elle said weakly, her voice hoarse and flat. she frankly wanted to curl up into a ball and sob.

"Your Jannai and I had a discussion and we think we have a plan to guarantee your safety and catch the criminal who hurt you. He'll most likely return, so we will be installing a decoy. Lt. Ume is a trained firebender who resembles you. If he comes back, she'll take care of him," Colonel Shynu explained. "As for you, you'll come with us as soon as you have a few minutes to rest. Jannai is taking you to his family's estate. I think getting you two away from Zhao is best for you all. He's agreed to the plan."

Elle turned to one of the only people she could trust now and tried to hold back her tears. "Thank you," she whispered. She really felt so alone and angry right now. It was nice someone still looked out for her.

Because now, she could never be safe again.

---

John stirred when he heard Aang enter. The boy had frogs, no doubt. Frogs meant sucking. He was in for a disturbing experience.

But on the plus side, he'd spent the night in the arms of a very pretty girl. If all he had to pay for that was a few licks of a frog, hell. She was worth it.

---

Kishi: And here you guys thought they'd all be buddy-buddy 'til the end. I'm sorry for taking thirteen chapters to do it, but I'd say this is probably where the story really begins. Hey, if it worked for Tolkien, doggonnit, this story can't be hurt by it.

Avatar: The Last Air Bender is copyrighted to Bryan Konietzko and Michael Di Martino.

Ryan, John, and Elle are all real. Fear, if you dare.

Special thanks to Hotspur for her enthusiasm in spite of overwhelming pressure.

Special thanks to Acastus of Avatar Spirit for his fine transcription. Special thanks to the site staff and the fan community as a whole. Y'all rock!


	15. Chapter 15

Kishi: Woohoo! I'm back, baby!

---

Kyoudai

Chapter 15

---

Yesterday is a wrinkle on your forehead.

Yesterday is the promise that you've broken.

Don't close your eyes, don't close your eyes,

This is your life, and today is all you have now.

-Switchfoot

Sokka was right in saying that that fish was taunting them. John couldn't catch the smirk of the thing in the exact same way that he could in front of a television, but it was definitely there. No fish was cocky enough to jump like that without a reason.

Though going for the thing with a fishing pole that had no line to it wasn't quite the best way to solve it. Aang held up the necklace, and John scowled.

"It's all tangled!" Sokka shrieked.

"Not tangled," Aang said with a patient grin, "woven. I made you a necklace, Katara." He was standing before Katara and he had the grace to look embarrassed. "I thought since you lost your other one…"

"Thanks, Aang," Katara said with a smile. "I love it."

"Hey, you know what I love?" John asked as Katara turned to put the necklace on. Sokka and Aang turned to him. "I love to eat!" John said. "Which we aren't doing, on account of no fishing line!" He cracked a maniacal grin. Sokka groaned before pulling his knife and lunging into the chillingly icy depths of the shallow forest pond. John wondered if now wouldn't be a good time to try Water Bending, when he heard Katara say something. He turned to look at her, and was struck by her looks. Granted, he was sixteen, and she was barely old enough to be a freshman in high school, but she was still cute. Especially blushing.

And Aang got smacked down. John allowed himself a smirk of satisfaction. Now to get that damn fish.

---

_Let me go…please don't hurt me…I'm scared! The ropes are too tight, they're choking me, I can't breathe! I trusted you, you're supposed to be my friend. No, don't leave me alone, I'm scared. It's dark! I can't move, I can't run. Why are you doing this? _

Elle sat up, breathing heavily. She was terrified that Ryan had taken her to some horrible dungeon on Zuko's ship. "No…" she whispered, still blinded in sleep.

"No what?" said a voice, a very young and high voice that hopefully wasn't the voice of a prison guard. "And Mama said you're supposed to be sleeping!"

Elle rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and found herself staring into three sweet little angelic faces, sitting on her bed. This was definitely not prison. "And you are?" she asked softly.

"I'm Adil, and these are my sisters, Mirza and Laleh. I'm the eldest son of General Arzu, leader of the divisions of the Western Front," the male moppet said, giving her a crooked smile. "But you're a seer, you should know that."

Older female moppet nudged him. "Behave yourself!" she said, glaring at him, before smiling at Elle. "It's so wonderful to meet you, Lady Elle. I'm Mirza, but you can call me Miri. I'm so happy you're here," she chirped, throwing her arms around Elle's neck and hugging her. The second female moppet, Laleh, landed on Elle's lap a second later.

"Okay, it's a pleasure to meet you all. Where am I?" Elle asked, wondering where there was a Greek Chorus of little kids and where she could find some people who were old enough to answer her questions.

"You're in our home. Uncle Jannai said you were pretty and he was right. If only your eyes were golden or brown. But you can't help having ugly blue eyes like icky Waterbenders. At least your skin is a normal color," Mirza said, giving Elle enough clues to figure out where she was.

"Shut up, Miri. They aren't Water colored, she's from the spirit world! Her eyes are supposed to be weird," Adil scolded back, happy to catch his sister in a mistake. "She's a handmaiden to the Princess, she could have your head chopped off for saying that!" Mirza looked fairly panic-stricken at that.

Elle laughed. "Ummm…no beheadings before breakfast," she said lightly. She was really starting to enjoy herself. "But I might just get my revenge another way," she said, pulling up her unwieldy sleeves to administer a swift tickle attack.

"What happened to you?" Mirza asked, her eyes wide. "Who did that to you?"

"Are they war scars?" Adil asked. Yes, they were.

Elle was confused for a moment before she looked down. Her wrists were chafed and red. Welts crisscrossed them, welts from a rope that had been bound around them. It hadn't been a dream. "I…don't wish to discuss this."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you upset," Mirza apologized, bowing her head. "Don't cry."

Elle gulped back hot salty tears. Ryan was supposed to be her friend. She should have trusted him. She shouldn't be staring at welted wrists. She shouldn't be afraid of him. But she was, oh she really was. "I…just…don't feel well. It's not your fault," she said, trying to comfort them. "I'll be fine, just a bit of a headache," she lied, forcing a smile.

---

"Hmmm… hmmm… this is your life, are you who you want to be?" Ryan sang and hummed to himself. It was a bright day, cheery, a blazing sun and chilling wind. A fine day for being at sea. A fine day for swabbing the deck of a ship at said sea. Which was how Ryan found himself out here today.

It would've been a lot nicer if he could just keep his focus here and now, but despite his singing and despite his chores, it just didn't seem to be working. His mind was taken by thoughts of a dark forest and a frightened girl in his arms, struggling to get free, and the wide eyes that weren't happy to see him. How had he expected anything else to happen? It felt so stupid now, looking back on it. He'd snuck into her room – her having company was something he hadn't planned on. He couldn't have taken off his mask with the other guy there, no, so sure that was okay…

But he'd held a sword to her throat! _Of course she was going to panic on you, you dolt!_ he roared at himself in his mind. _What were you thinking?_ He hadn't been, of course. He was thinking only in terms of the end result, getting Elle out of there, without having any considerations for the ramifications of his actions. Surely the ends justified the means, didn't they?

_Hmph. Some end._

"Ryan," a voice came. Ryan ceased his swabbing and came to attention, mop lifted just slightly off the deck.

"Your Highness," he said.

"Back to your swabbing," the Prince said. "We don't want people to think this is anything other than a conversation."

"Yes, my lord." Ryan knew where this was headed as he bent himself to removing the gunk. There was worse than dirt on this deck. It would take a practiced move to make this go away.

"When we went to Zhao's fortress," Zuko said, his voice low and barely audible over the wind, "we went to get the Avatar out of his hands. But we were supposed to get away with the Seer as well."

"True, my lord." Ah, there it went. Ryan dipped his mop in the bucket and swept again.

"We got the Avatar, but we didn't get the Seer. That was your job, Ryan. You care to explain that?"

Oh boy. Ryan mulled it over for a scant few seconds. He didn't want to lie to his lord, but if he told Zuko that he'd just let her get away, it'd be his head. He'd wanted her killed if they couldn't get her away from Zhao.

"I did manage to get her out of her rooms, my Lord," he said, carefully. "We got as far as the forest when alarms went up from the fortress. Thinking of your safety, I tied her to a tree and returned to see to you."

"Your first duty is to follow my orders," Zuko growled.

"My first duty, my Lord, is to you," Ryan replied. "I am your protector. What good would your orders be if you were not alive to see them carried out?"

"… Very well, then," he said. If that appeal to his sentimentality had worked, it didn't show. But the fact that he was letting this go was a good sign. "Continue."

"Once you were secured, I returned to where I tied her up – only to find that she was tied no more." _Careful, careful…_

"She escaped."

_YES!_ "I'm afraid so. Given that her ropes were cut, I can only guess that she was found by soldiers and was retrieved. I truly am sorry, my Lord. Despite my best efforts, I _did_ fail your orders."

"You did. But you did it to help me." Zuko looked away. "I can't hold that against you. Very well, then. We'll take our next chance at her when it presents itself."

"Yes, my Lord."

---

Sitting in the Fortuneteller's antechamber, John had to admit to being a little impressed. It was nice to sit on cushions and be indoors for once without some innkeeper looking at them suspiciously. He was honestly sure he'd been sunburned enough to develop something just a little darker than the alabaster sheen he walked around with.

He wasn't quite sure what he was expecting when Meng came up and ogled Aang, but she was just a little kid, nothing more. What really blew his mind was how Aang could be so perceptive in some things and not notice the 'Fuck me, I'm yours!' eyes that Meng was giving him.

When Sokka stood up for his fortune, the teller shot him down with a single statement. John was expecting much the same thing, maybe a nice sort of doom and gloom statement. "Doom and misfortune will plague your pathetic soul for all eternity," would've been nice. A little gloomy, sure, but at least it'd be unambiguous. Only it didn't happen. The lady looked at him, and her face took a thoughtful cast before she called Aang.

That was interesting.

"Misfortune, tch!" Sokka would have spat, or so it seemed. "Like I need some old Madame Wu telling me what my fortune's gonna bring."

"You just can't stand that it might be true," John said with a grin.

"It's not gonna happen!" Sokka grated. He stood up and stalked out. John shrugged, leaning back to wait. He didn't have to wait very long. Aang came out, his step springing. If this was what it meant to have a smile on the face and a song in the heart, John was going to play death metal. Maybe Deth Klok's Thunder Horse. Yeah, that was a good one.

"You may come now," Madame Wu said. He stood up and walked after her as she walked deeper into the house. It was dimmer here, but not in the sinister way. John got the feeling that this wasn't even for show or atmosphere. Knowing this woman, knowing that she was damn near to the genuine article, it was like he was stepping into some kind of mystery. She slid open a screen door. It was the fortunetelling chamber all right. The fire pit that was settling itself down didn't leave any room for doubt.

"What's your name?" she asked.

"John."

"Jeong?" she asked. "You have a strange accent." She sat down.

"No, John. That's really my name." Honestly, it was the last name that was supposed to be hard, not the first. He shrugged it off as he sat down across from her.

"I see. So what would you like me to tell you today?"

"I could use some help getting home," he replied. "I get the feeling you're not gonna help me though."

"I'm afraid I can't. You don't call any place in this world home."

As he suspected. "So you know about me, then?"

"I do," she said, folding her hands in her lap. "And what I see about you is more peculiar than anything I have ever seen."

Hell of a compliment, that. He'd just managed to trump the Avatar. "So what do you see?" he asked, folding his arms.

"That's just it. I don't see anything."

"Say what now?"

"Well, that's not right either." Madame Wu pursed her lips as she looked at him. "I don't see your future," she said slowly, "I see many futures around you. I don't see what your choices will be, but I see what they can be and how they affect the fate of us all."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means that you have to be very careful. There are many things at work in this world. Some things are simply meant to happen, and you have the power to change them."

"Oh boy." _Puh-lease_, he thought. _Tell me something I don't know._

"Just your being here has already altered fate. You have to be careful. Your words and actions may change the fate of us all."

"I'll be careful."

---

Life at Jannai's home was idyllic. Governor Shadi and his wife Azarya were lovely, gracious hosts who praised her and told her how she honored their home. They had beautiful meals prepared for her, and had spared no expense into seeing to her comfort.

Adil, Mirza and Laleh were adorable playmates, romping around with joy and taking turns hopping on her lap and demanding her attention. Izar, Jannai's sister had been the soul of wit and kindness, subtly helping her learn the complex rules of etiquette. If it wasn't for the fact that she was terrified and constantly looking over her shoulder, it would have been a perfect day.

Elle was determined to do what she always did when she was under periods of stress. She smiled and pretended everything was fine. She had always been good at that, when the stress of three majors, being the presidency of a youth group, devoted daughter and friend, the perfect student was too much for her. She would just smile and push through it till her cheeks hurt from smiling and then she'd sob to herself when she was alone.

She had done extremely well. She had done everything a wealthy young Fire Nation noblewoman did at a country estate. She had tea with the ladies of the house and exchanged pleasantries about silks and satins, and about how wonderful the Princess was. She rode around the estate on rhino-back and looked over the vast estate with Jannai and the Governor. She played with the children and told them stories about a world they would never knew, a world of Bugs Bunny and big metal birds called planes that flew in the sky. A world she would give anything to see again.

"What's that building upon the hill?" Elle asked Mirza as she walked the children back from their firebending lessons.

"The Temple of Agni. It's where we honor our ancestors. You should visit," Mirza said, smiling in the most adorably fake way. She was still staring at Elle's wrists with curiosity.

---

Ryan breathed in and breathed out. It felt good to be done from the day, with a nice sort of rubbery soreness in his limbs from swabbing _everything_. Zuko apparently had a real creative side when he decided he did. This was one of those days. Ryan supposed he deserved it, really. Any way he managed to cut it, this had been a bungle. Considering what Elle would probably have liked to put him through, this was merciful.

He was sat down in lotus. It was getting so much easier to hold with all this new flexibility. Apparently this hard pushing six or seven days a week was really good for him. He sat now, his hands resting in his lap, focusing on the candle. This was something nice and simple. Nice and simple was _so_ good right now.

He heard a tapping on his cell door. "Yes?" he called out.

"General Iroh has requested that you come to drink tea with him."

Ryan smiled as he stood. "He doesn't mean to play Pai Sho as well, surely?" That got him a laugh, and the man was gone by the time Ryan stepped through the door. He walked through the iron corridors and arrived at the General's quarters without any delay.

"You wanted to see me, sir?"

"Ah, Ryan. I'm grateful you could come. Have a seat, please." Iroh was already there, sitting on a wooden stool. A small table was in front of him. The teapot steamed. Ryan sat down in front of the man, but he wasn't quite sure what to expect. The Pai Sho board wasn't out either.

"So, what can I do for you?"

"I've been meaning to speak with you about my nephew. He seems to have a great load on his mind. Is everything all right?"

"Yes sir. Everything is as it should be."

"Are you sure? I notice you've been somewhat… amiss today. Has something happened?"

"Honestly, sir, I don't know what to say." That much was being honest. Hopefully it wouldn't go any further than that.

"It wouldn't have anything to do with you being off the ship all night, would it?"

_Damn it!_ He couldn't tell Iroh to just bug off and mind his own business. The man was looking at him. He was expecting answers. And Ryan was sure he was tired enough that the lie would be seen through without any kind of issue.

"It does. Sir, can I trust you with a secret?"

"Of course."

"Well, sir," he said, leaning forward, "you remember as well as I that we'd had word of the Avatar's capture by Admiral Zhao?"

"I do. My nephew was very worried."

"Yes sir. So he and I decided that we were going to go ahead and rescue the Avatar."

"You're joking!" Iroh said, his eyes wide.

"It's no joke," Ryan said. He took a sip of tea. Good and scalding, like tea was supposed to be. "And I wouldn't have helped him if it wasn't in his destiny to do it. Besides, he needed my help with something."

"I see," the old man said, sounding calmer if nothing else. "Go on."

"So Zuko and I snuck into Zhao's fortress. Zuko ran to help the Avatar. I decided to go after Elle."

"So your friend was there?"

"Yeah," Ryan said. His backside was going numb, and it was coming to a part of the story he wanted nothing to do with. But Iroh was looking at him again. He couldn't just run away, could he? "See, we figured, we could get Elle away from Zhao, maybe impede his progress when he was looking for the Avatar. And I figured she was being held prisoner. So I was going to rescue her, see?"

"I'm guessing it didn't go as you'd planned?"

"No, sir. Turns out, she isn't in the dungeons. She's in the penthouse. And when I climbed in through her window, she was talking to some guy. I got up close to her, between her and this other guy. And she was about to say that I was Prince Zuko. You can see the problems with that."

Iroh nodded. "So what did you do about it?"

"Well, I, um… I put a dao to her throat."

"You did _what_!" he exclaimed.

"I didn't know what else to do! I was freaking out, and if the rest of the Fire Nation somehow caught on that Prince Zuko was in on this it would've ripped him to shreds." _Not to mention history on the whole, but let's not ponder that too much_. "It was the quickest, easiest way. Definitely not the best way, though."

"You surely didn't do this out of a sense of vengeance, did you?" Iroh asked. His eyes were narrowed, and Ryan had the feeling he was being measured.

But how could the man say such a thing! "No, sir. She's a good person. She skipped ahead of me to get to college, sure, and she's probably way too smart for her own good, but we weren't like that. She's my friend. Hurting her on purpose was _not_ what I had in mind."

"Are you certain?" Iroh asked. "She is intelligent, you say. Smarter than you. I've seen how that can change people for the worse. It's easy to be jealous of people like that. And now you were finally able to have power over her-"

"I don't want that kind of power!" Ryan exclaimed. He thumped his fist into his thigh. Something in his chest stung suddenly. "I know she's smarter than me. But it wouldn't have been fair. She… she…"

"She what?"

"She… just… she doesn't fight."

Iroh blinked. "What do you mean? Does she not have the training that you received?"

"Nothing even close. She dances, but that's it. She couldn't put up any kind of defense at all." God _damn_, but this felt worse with the moment.

"You had her at a major disadvantage then."

"Exactly. Proving my power over her that way would have been meaningless."

"Fine. So go on. You didn't hurt her, but I'm sure the other didn't take too well to this?"

"Yes sir. I knocked him out and got Elle out the window… forgetting, of course, that she was afraid of heights." Iroh sighed. Honestly, if Ryan hadn't been doing this to a dear friend in bad circumstances, this could've been the funniest thing ever. A classic comedy of errors indeed.

"Anyway," Ryan said, picking it back up, "I got her out of there and, wouldn't you know it, she freaks out when she sees it's me. Can't blame her, of course, but she flipped out and ran off into the woods. I went after her and I tied her up… and then I left."

"Ryan," Iroh said, pinching the bridge of his nose. The gray of his eyebrows was coming together to form a storm cloud. This didn't bode well. "Do you mean to tell me that you left a poor, frightened young woman tied up alone, in the dark, with dangerous animals all about?"

"Yes. I tied her up in the woods and ran to help Prince Zuko."

Iroh took a sip of tea - probably to let his temper cool, Ryan figured - before he asked, "At what point did it seem that this was a good idea?"

"The part where I thought I was one of the Marsh Heroes, sir." God, but he felt older every time he talked about this.

"A hero does not deal with his lady thus," Iroh said. "Or else, your world's heroes are quite different from ours."

"No, 'fraid not. In the end, I couldn't save her. The soldiers were the ones who did it. I just ended up being the villain. I was a fool to think that this was just going to work out. As forgiving as she is, I don't think she's going to let this one go by."

"You can hardly blame her."

"I can't." The tea was cool enough for him to drink. It didn't taste any less bitter though. How'd the man drink this stuff?

They were quiet together, though Ryan didn't know how long. "So what will you do from here?" Iroh asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, it seems that there may be a time when you two see each other again. How will you handle it when the time comes? You know she won't look on you kindly when next you meet."

Ryan shrugged and swallowed another sip of tea. "The best I can. I'll tell her I'm sorry and then… I don't know. If she forgives me, then that's that. If she doesn't, then I'll have to work out some manner of penance or other, if she'll even take that."

The silence was growing more and more prolonged. Iroh gave Ryan a pointed look over his cup of tea before sighing and putting it down.

"Let us look on the bright side," Iroh said. "If you _had _actually rescued her, she'd have ended up in the brig for sure, knowing my nephew."

Ryan hummed in thought. "True. She's basically royalty as of now. Hell, she's probably been put up as comfortable as she can be. I mean, really. What's the worst that could happen?"

---

"Elle, I'd like for you to meet Master Zhang."

Elle blinked, coming out of her letter to Azula. She'd needed things to do, and she found that work helped her to calm down when things had gone wrong. On the other hand, she had to admit it: Chinese looked like chicken-scratch. What ever happened to simple alphabets like Hebrew and Yiddish and Spanish? She didn't know if she'd ever get this right, and with everything on her mind right now concentrating was just hard.

Jannai, however, was gesturing an older man in. He was bald and pale, and had a beard of some length stretching down to his chest. Elle instantly got to her feet and bowed respectfully, hand over fist.

"Welcome, teacher and master." Some habits were hard to kill, like the respect for authority figures.

"My Lady," the Master said, obviously appreciating her level of respect. "Jannai tells me you've come upon some trying times, hm?" he said. He had a thin whispy voice that reminded her of her third year philosophy master.

She settled for a "Yes, I suppose I have." Rough didn't even begin to cover it. Homicidal might, though.

"Then it is my duty and honor to help you. Jannai, would you set this candle here and light it?" Jannai did as he was asked, setting a candle on Elle's table and lighting it with a flick of his fingers. He then left the room, bowing slightly as he left. She would really have to have a talk with him about giving her short notice on this.

"Do you need me to do anything?" Elle asked, realizing she was not getting a choice in this.

"Merely be seated comfortably. Now, I trust you know what chakras are?" Elle nodded. "Good," the Master said with a smile. "I am going to help you to clear your chakras. This is to help you become more at peace."

"Yes. You feel my chakras are blocked because of my experiences and opening them will relieve my pain."

"Yes. Of course, you understand that this is not something that you can go back upon. Either you open all of them, or you open none at all. Shall we begin?"

What else could she do? She nodded her assent.

"The Earth Chakras is found at the base of the Spine. It deals with survival and is blocked by fear," the Master said, putting his hands on Elle's temples. "What do you fear?"

"Never seeing my parents again. Being hurt by someone who I should have trusted," Elle whispered, feeling very nervous by the whole process. She knew what clearing chakras was but she wasn't sure she trusted anyone anymore.

"Accept your need to survive. Kill or be killed," the Guru said, as a strange feeling washed over Elle. It was as if she was floating in a misty haze. "Do you want to die?" he asked in a harsh tone.

"No," Elle whispered, a bit overwhelmed. "I want to live. I want to survive." Elle felt something inside her head shift, like the end of a bad migraine.

"Excellent. Now, the Water Chakra is for Pleasure but blocked by Guilt. What do you blame yourself for?" the Master continued, his voice sounding farther away.

"I blame myself for failing everyone. I trusted someone and I wonder if it's my fault that I was betrayed." Elle didn't know why she was telling this stranger any of this. She had never told anyone this. She had always tried to appear strong.

"Whether or not it was your fault is beside the point. Your real friends would never betray you. Has the Princess ever been anything less than true to her word? Have you failed her?" the Master asked, as Elle pondered why the smell was getting so cloying.

"No. I have served her well. And...she does care about me, right? She saved me from the guards and she promised to give me a home. She is a good friend." Elle felt herself grow more relaxed.

"She is. If you keep blaming yourself like this, you can't be a good friend to her. You need to let this go."

Yes, she did. "I'll be strong for Azula." Elle wanted to please Azula, her protector, her friend, the only person who hadn't lied to her.

"You are doing excellently. The next chakra is found on the stomach. It deals with Willpower and blocked by Shame. What are you ashamed of?" the Master.

Elle resisted a laugh. "Not being good enough. I...am always good. I skipped a couple of grades, started college early, took three majors, headed student clubs, got good jobs...but I never was sure if I was great. I always felt I could do better," she said, still wondering why she was talking so much.

"That was in your world. In this world, there is an entire Nation that knows your greatness. And through this nation, you can show the world. Don't let your shame from back then carry over to what you have now." He sounded so wise and confident, like her teachers.

"Yes...true. I have done good here." She was making a positive change here.

"You have. You can do more good if you don't let your shame get the best of you." That made her feel so much better.

"Thank you. I know the next one is the chakra of the Heart deals with Love and is blocked by grief." She still had her memory.

"Smart, very smart. So what gives you grief?" the Master asked. He reminded her of her father now. What did her father look like again? She kept trying to picture him but she kept forgetting.

"Not pleasing my parents, my family and friends. Being apart from them," Elle answered, wondering how long it had been in her world since she had seen them.

"Grieving for your loved ones won't reunite you. They wouldn't want to live in sadness. And when you dream, you will see them again. As for your friends, you have them here. They love you. Do you think you can truly displease them?" the Master soothed.

"I hope not. I want to please them." If she lost them, she would have none.

"Then do what it takes to do so. Don't let your grief chain you down."

"I will be strong for them, " Elle promised.

"The chakra found in the Throat deals with Truth and is blocked by Lies. The lies I can you tell yourself is that you are a mistake, you should be back in your home world. But like it or not, you are a Seer. You were chosen by the Fire Nation. You see the world, what will be, and what can be done to improve it. You can even see the true natures of people - their chakras."

"I can? I really am a seer? I never thought..." Elle was shocked. She had been brought up with the idea of it, but never thinking she was one of them.

"I don't make mistakes about this sort of thing. I know a Seer when I see one. I can show you how."

"I know seers run in my family, though...none have existed in a hundred years...but it makes sense. Yes...this world must have allowed me to realize this...I'm a seer..."

"It's a rare gift. But you must accept it is yours. The chakra of the Forehead deals with Insight and is blocked by Illusion. You realize by now that you have been living your life as one chained. It was only when you came here, to the Fire Nation, that you were free to be yourself, and to be valued for being yourself. Who are you?"

"A seer," Elle declared, feeling deeper and deeper into that state of peace. "I am a seer."

"Your journey is almost done. On the Crown of the Head likes the final chakra of Cosmic energy, which is blocked by Earthly attachments. Free yourself."

"I'm attached to...home. To my family. To my old life." At least, Elle thought so.

"You must let go of those things. Embrace the life you have before you now, and let the old life go." Let go?

"But won't that betray my family?" Elle couldn't forget her family, even if...their image blurred before her eyes.

"Your family isn't here to be betrayed. Besides, they'd want you to prosper in this world. What better way than to help the Fire Nation?" He seemed so convincing.

"I have no...one else...do I?" Family was supposed to be everything.  
"Do you? Has anyone helped you and valued you except the Princess and Jannai?" the Master demanded.

"Well, I...can't...remember...they seem fuzzy in my mind," Elle whispered. She truly didn't know who she was.

"Then make new memories here. The Nation needs you. You have a place here."

"I am...ready. " She had no other choice.

"Then do it. Who are you?" A fair question.

"I...am Elle of the Fire Nation, seer to Princess Azula and servant of the line of Sozin," Elle declared, as a wave of feelings washed over her. She felt so dizzy.

"Jannai, she's ready," the Master said in a satisfied tone. "You may come in."

Elle felt strong arms wrap around her. "It's going to be all right now, my dear Elle. Everything is going to be perfect now," she heard her friend say, in a voice very far away.

---

John had never thought he'd be grateful for all those lessons in wielding the shovel he'd received. Dad had never made him plant trees, but he'd done his time in the garden. He knew how to work the damn thing. It was times like this that he could appreciate modern workmanship. He swore, the damn head just wasn't going to stay on. It was too loose. He figured the only thing keeping it on and alive was him digging and pushing it in. Just the right technique, and not a straight pull out but an upturn tilt.

Honestly, though, this shovel was just an example of things being wrong. When he'd complained about it, the farmer had grinned toothily and said, "Madame Wu says it'll bring me a great fortune if I keep it like this!"

_Yeah. Like a new shovel. When this one breaks. I hate this episode_.

That wasn't the only thing, though. It just kept getting crazier from there.

_John walked in to a shop. He was helping Katara with the supplies, being a real man about his responsibilities. Honestly, Aang would've been better-served doing his job and carrying his weight if he wanted to win points with the girl. Probably for the best that he wasn't. Especially given what was coming._

_Entering into the shop, though, he was _immediately_ confronted with sight of five chicken gizzards. Old chicken gizzards, from the look of them. Old to the point that they didn't even smell. Dried chicken gizzards. Hell of an advertising tool if he said so, which he didn't._

_He picked out the dried foods that Katara had specified and laid the coins on the shopkeeper's desk._

"_So, uh, what's with the chicken gizzards?" he asked._

"_Ah, lovely, aren't they?" the man said. "They're an edge up on the competition. Madame Wu's advice."_

_Oh boy. "What'd she say?" John almost regretted asking it. He was ninety percent sure he didn't want to know._

"_Well, I'll tell you, but you must promise not to tell anyone," the shopkeeper said, a glint in his eye. John nodded. He was pretty sure he wasn't going to tell anybody, even if not for the same reasons. "Madame Wu says… that I will have my best day's business ever when I hang the chicken gizzards in my door."_

_John stared. "Sir?" he asked, "how long have they been up?"_

"_For a week! That day should be coming any time now!"_

_Oh for the love of! "You're bound to have your best day if you keep them up all the time!" John snapped._

"_That's the idea!"_

Rutting retard. John shook his head, moving the sweat out of the way. That little incident hadn't even been the end of it, though.

_Walking to meet Katara, John had a chance to see a most peculiar sight. It was a house, with a roof crossbeam - lying in the middle of the doorway. John looked around. The passersby weren't stopping to comment. This was a bad sign. His bullshit detector was tingling again. He walked up the steps and leaned in, looking about._

"_Oh, hello!" said a jolly woman's voice. Where, oh where - ah, there she was. She was doing some kind of calligraphy._

"_Ma'am," he said. "I couldn't help but notice you've got this… uh, beam, lying here… and I was wondering, you know, if you should move it or something?"_

"_What ever do you mean?"_

"_Well, I mean, it's a beam. It's going all the way through your house."_

"_I know. Brilliant, isn't it?"_

"_I don't get it." He had the sneaking suspicion, however, that he did._

_And she confirmed it: "It was all Aunt Wu's idea! She said we would be protected front and back, and this crossbeam is the perfect way to do it!"_

_Yep. _That_ kind of stupid. Unfixable, according to Ron White. Anybody would trip over that damn thing in the dark, wanted guest and non alike._

_There was nothing for this. John nodded and beat feet out of there._

This town deserved to burn. Honestly. Either that or this was evidence for the existence of God. So many stupid people, all in one place, and none coming to harm!

"Everyone needs to evacuate!" Aang shouted. "We'll come for you when it's safe!"

_About damn time_, he thought, crawling out. Everything was going to be all right.

Except for the sound of the old man's cry that said that everything was going to be _not_ all right. John turned just as the ash started falling. There was the old man. He was fallen and reaching. And he was definitely _old_. John wondered how the man could be considered healthy enough to climb in and out and lift a shovel and all.

As such, it was definitely not that strange to think of the man as being tired and having a hard time crawling out. John chanced a peek up at the volcano - _dayumn_. That lava was moving fast. Definitely faster than on TV. Fast enough that if that man was left to it, he would die. And if the Three Stooges were as faithful to their roles as he'd seen so far, they'd never see the guy.

He realized what he was going to do. _Oh shit, oh shit, I'm gonna die_. Before he could dissuade himself further, he made a mad dash for the trench. The man saw him, his face lighting up, and his cries growing _more_ frantic. Remembering something he'd seen on Mythbusters, John dove and made a baseball slide for the man. The timing couldn't be better, and he landed with half of him over the lip. It was perfect for reaching the old man.

He clasped the man's wrists, and the man's grip was surprisingly strong. John scrambled his legs about before finally getting enough under him to start lifting. He could see the lava at the top of his vision, and he pulled all the harder. The oldster was no idiot, though. His feet were digging in and helping to climb. The seconds stretched, and John's pulse was racing, but he didn't let go.

And just like that, the man was over the lip. They both stumbled, but fortunately it was _away _from the lava. John stayed with the man, helping him to limp away. It was done. The lava would go no further.

They made it to the central portion of the town, just in time to see Aang do his Air Bending thing. And of course, Katara was staring at him.

_Great_, John thought with a scowl. _Save an old man, and that's the thanks I get?_

But then, he reflected, the world was rarely a grateful place.

---

Kishi: What, you guys thought I was gonna give up and leave? Ha! Guess again.

Avatar: The Last Air Bender is copyrighted to Bryan Konietzko and Michael Di Martino. I'm just a humble fan.

Special thanks to Hotspur for her contributions.

Special thanks to Acastus of Avatar Spirit for a fine transcription.


	16. Chapter 16

Kyoudai

Chapter 16

--

Stand up beside the fireplace  
Take that look from off your face  
You ain't ever gonna burn my heart out

Oasis, _Don't Look Back in Anger_

--

John knew not the first thing about how to track. It was a hunter thing to do, and he was no hunter. He was a member of the Chair-force ROTC. That sort of thing was left to people like the marines or the Green Berets.

So it was with some surprise that he could see the signs of the struggle. It was all grown over, but he could see it. The earth turned at all kinds of unnatural angles. It was abrupt. It ended and began in all kinds of strange ways. Yeah, it was obvious. How could he miss it?

Then he remembered that he'd seen this episode too. So much for his elation.

He noticed something white sticking out of the ground and bent down to pick it up. It was a blade, but it didn't feel like metal or anything familiar. It had some heft to it, whatever it was.

"Hm," he murmured, holding it up to examine in the light. He heard a gasp and turned to see Sokka gaping at the weapon. "What?" John asked.

"That's one of ours!" Sokka said.

"What is?"

"That! The whale-tooth sword!"

A whale tooth sword. Leave it to the Avatar Land Eskimos to make the most of everything. Honestly, a sword made from a whale tooth? Crazy.

Sokka darted forward. He had a frown on his face, and his gaze scoured the earth. John followed along a few steps behind, thinking, _All right, Squanto. Let's see where this leads_.

"What's up?" Katara asked from behind. "Are we lost?"

"We're not found, that's for sure. More like we're finding," John said.

"Finding what?" Aang asked.

"Signs," Sokka said. He was kneeling in the grass, and he pulled a shaft from the ground. It wasn't just a stick, it was too straight. And it was burned. John's first thought was to blame it on the Fire Nation. His second thought was to wonder why the hell he was thinking like these people.

They found other signs – burns on the trees, and more upturned earth that hadn't grown over. As they followed the tracks, the woody scent of the forest picked up a cool tang. John frowned. That was the smell of ocean. But the only reason you could find that here would be-

They stepped out onto sand. And there it was. The outline of a sail stretched against the sky. It looked like it was made of hide, and the hull as well. Sokka was running now, with the others, and John followed.

"Sokka... is that Dad's?" Katara asked.

"No," Sokka said. "But it was with him. This boat was in the fleet."

--

The hard metal felt good. Ryan had never thought it would, but now that his bloody spine was aligned straight, it felt great. It made the lotus easier to sit and hold, easier to roll the hips and keep the back straight.

He was in the tea chamber with Iroh and Zuko. It was dim and cool in here, and he could feel the sway of the ship. It was one of the immaterial things, though. He was in meditation now, and the world was at that point where it grew dim and irrelevant. All there was now rested in the flame in the palm of his hands. He took one breath, then another, then another, in and out. He sought stillness.

But it just wouldn't sit. The images kept flashing in his mind. Flashing steel, and coils of rope. And each time he told himself leave it, man, let it go, and it stayed. And the worst thing was that he couldn't go to see her and apologize.

Back home, he'd had an easy time getting under her skin. And it always used to be that, if he'd got too far, he could back out, take a few days off, then come back and clear it up. Because they had been friends, and that was how friends worked. But no more. Now she was a world away, and that was the last memory she had of him. There was no way to work this out. They couldn't sit down over coffee and talk this out.

No, if this was going to work, he needed to get them home. He knew it, had known it, but felt it now. Hell, she'd have to forgive him if he could get her back to her nice house and all her nice things. That, or kill him for putting her back under her parent's thumbs again.

"Lord Iroh?" Ryan asked. The old general looked over to him. "You journeyed once to the Spirit World, correct?"

Iroh's eyes widened, but he shrugged in that easy way of his. After all, he was history.

"I was wondering if you could tell me... how did you get there?"

"The Spirit World is not something you just go to," Iroh said.

"I know, my lord, but you were able to go. I just want to know how you did."

"I was able to go because I had a reason to. I wanted to get my son back. I had to meditate for a full day, with my son's memory in my heart. I had to relive every moment, good and bad. And just when I thought I could take no more, I was taken."

"Just like that?" Ryan asked.

"Yes," Iroh replied. "But it was only my spirit, and it was only me. And try as I might, I couldn't stay there."

Whatever candle of hope had burned in Ryan was snuffed. So even if the Spirit World could be a portal back home, he'd still need to get back with John and Elle. He ground his teeth together.

And that was when he felt Jun arrive.

--

It was night time, now. Sokka was staring into the fire, and John could tell he was far and away. It was actually kind of nice out here. The sand was warm, the breeze was cool. He might have trained, but not tonight. No, he was tired. There wasn't going to be anything to worry about on a night like this.

Aang was busy playing with Momo, and Katara wasn't doing anything. Now, _there_ was an opportunity. Suddenly he wondered if maybe a little "PT" might not be a bad idea.

"Say, um, Katara," John said.

"Mm? What is it?" she asked.

"My uh... form. My form!"

"What do you mean?"

"I need to work on my form. Could you help me?"

"Hm. Well, sure, I guess. Though, really, I don't think you need to worry that much."

"Maybe," John said. He stumbled to his feet. "It's just... you know? I want to get this right."

"Okay. Show me what you got."

John nodded. He moved away from the fire a bit and began to go through his Taiji form. He kept it slow and controlled at first, then started to pick it up. That was easy enough. He hated how slow this crap could be. And of course, the faster he went, the easier it was to make mistakes, and it was only a matter of time until-

"Hold it," Katara said. "Can't you feel it?"

"Feel what?" John asked, mid-move.

"Your posture's a mess," Katara said.

"... you sure?" John asked.

"Yeah." Katara walked over to him. She put her hand on her forehead and began to push. John gave with it, letting her push him and taking steps. She wrapped around her other hand at his waist.

_Got it_, John thought. He fought to keep his lips from turning up.

"There," Katara said. "That's how it feels when it's right. Okay?"

"Yeah."

"Who's there?" John heard Sokka shout. John sprang away from Katara, eyes wide, but Sokka was staring off into the dark. John looked, and he saw a shadow detach itself, moving closer and into the light. It was a man. A man dressed in Water Tribe blues, and his left arm was covered in bandages. His hair was brown and wild, and his face was long. John didn't know what to make of him for a second before his memory caught up with him.

Oh. Yes.

"Bato?" Sokka asked.

--

It was weird, looking at the man this way. Like she could see something he was doing, just out of the corner of her eye.

The flickering was mostly around his stomach. He was guilty. What was he feeling guilt for? She took a deep breath, and saw without seeing. It was so clear. It made her want to laugh. The man was ashamed of being matched up with a girl. He thought she was too soft. Like somehow his fire would be too much for her. He was afraid of burning her, ashamed of his strength against her weakness.

Well. Why let him think differently?

Elle raised her hand and pushed out. She reached with her mind, felt for it and found – the swirling in the man's gut. And rather than letting it dissipate, she pushed. The energy of his stomach began to spin, faster and faster, like a whirlwind. She watched as the man's eyes widened, and his arms began to drop. He shook his head, like he was trying to see through a fog.

Elle clenched her hand to a fist, and she could feel his willpower slipping away. She knew he was seeing more than this – more than her burned and beaten. He was seeing the moments that had led up to this and wondering if maybe it could have been different. And his guilt for every missed chance burned inside of him.

His arms dropped to his sides. Elle tried to push, but that was when she found the block. No matter how hard she pushed, she couldn't make the wind of guilt go any faster.

She pursed her lips. It was fascinating, this. Enough to make her want to practice more.

--

"No way!" Katara said. "Stewed Sea Prunes?" Holy crap, it sounded bad whether it was on the television screen or right in front of him. And that was when he caught the smell. It felt like he was dying a little on the inside. It brought tears to his eyes and stung the back of his throat.

"Dad could eat a whole barrel of these!" Sokka said. John said nothing, just waiting for the bowl to get passed around. Aang's look was priceless. And then he passed the bowl to John. John's eyes were streaming by now with tears. God, but the smell! But he was hungry. And he had a feeling nothing else was coming his way. He closed his eyes, grabbed a prune, and took a bite.

His tongue went numb and his throat closed up immediately. It was... it was just _bad_. Unbelievably _bad_. How the hell could anyone eat a barrel of this stuff? What was it, a test of manhood or something?

He put the bowl aside to see that Sokka and Katara were talking with this guy Bato. He knew what was happening here. It was just like in high school. You get the one group of friends talking, and you get the odd ducks out. He'd gotten used to that experience. Hell, he'd even come to enjoy it. It was just easier to deal with people like that. Aang, on the other hand, didn't have that. He didn't have it at all. He had no clue how to deal, and it was showing.

As for John, he sat himself against the wall, and tried not to focus on the dry dead... thing that was working its way through his innards.

--

Between Jun and Iroh, Ryan had the distinct feeling that Zuko was covered. Which left him in the startling place of out of the loop with nothing to do. The tavern still glowed brightly in the night. And young as he was, he was seriously considering walking in to get a drink. He didn't think anybody would blame him for it, all things considered.

"Hey!" someone shouted. He looked around. "Hey! Ling, you sonembitch, gerrover here!"

It didn't sound like anything he wanted to get involved with. He took a step toward the tavern, then another. Suddenly, a strong arm wrapped about his neck and pulled. Down. Into something warm and laughing. He squirmed and pulled, and somehow got himself loose, and he was able to see now exactly who had pulled in.

She was a woman. She was dressed in clothes just classy enough to be trashy. The kimono was a little too open in the front, and the back of her neck was plain to see. Her black hair was down and wild, and her face was very red. And in the back of his mind, Ryan realized she had pulled him down into-

Ulp. Well. Awkward, Ryan thought. Elle would've killed him if she'd seen it.

"Ling! It's me, remember? Zi?"

"Zi! Um. No, I don't."

"What!" she shouted. "How can you forget? Especially after the last time?"

"I must've had too much drink," Ryan said. She looked like she would buy that line pretty easy. And she seemed to. She shrugged, and the kimono spread a little. She pulled it back into its place, but Ryan was still seeing plenty more than he knew he should have.

"What!" She stalked over to him and gripped his hands. "Ling, it's _me,_ remember?"

"Um, I-"

"I'm the one who loves you so much," she said. She pulled his hands up and crossed them, so that the backs of her hands were resting on his chest. And his were... well, he tried not to think about them.

"Zi, I-"

"I do! Listen, you, I'd walk from here to Ba Sing Se and back again to prove it to you. I really would!"

"I'm sure."

"I would! I love you, man, I do!"

Ryan smiled and shook his head. This woman had no idea what she was talking about. He still had no idea how to get himself out of this.

She leaned into him, and he felt her mouth moving against his chest. He could feel her breathing. Come to think of it, she was leaning into him pretty heavy. And that was when he realized she had fallen asleep leaning on him. Oh great. Now what?

--

Okay. Damn it to hell, but there had to be _something _that wasn't stewed in this place. It was a nunnery, after all. It was full of women. And women, John reflected, were at their best cooking and cleaning. At least, he would have said that, once. When Elle was around, he used to love getting under her skin with that. It was too easy. She never, _ever_ understood, and that was all he needed.

But back to food.

The empty feeling in his middle was crippling. He forced himself to stand upright and ignore it. Back when he was younger, he'd been a real bitch about food, only eating a little at a time and being crabby. But then they'd figured out that he needed food throughout the day to keep his energy up. Because being happy is hard when you don't have energy.

The air smelled good, thanks to the perfume. His stomach grumbled. He wondered if drinking the perfume would mess him up. But then he smelled something that made his mouth water. He didn't know what it was. He just knew it was pure awesome. He walked around, following his nose, and noticed that there were nuns walking in the same direction. There was a sort of open area, with a roof over it, in the main part of the building. He could hear easy talk and laughter coming from within.

He stopped right outside. Nuns passed him as he realized the awful truth. He had no idea how to ask these people for food. Seriously, he was an outsider here. Would they be okay with feeding him? Would there be enough? Would it be too rude for him to even ask?

Well, it was either that or starve. And starving sucked. He took a breath and tried to let the nervousness flow out of him. It didn't work. He still wasn't taking even one step forward. And that was when he was bumped into from behind.

"Oh! Sorry!" said the voice. He turned around, and he blinked. For a split second, she looked like his mother. She was about a head shorter than he, and there was just something about her, the way she was laughing and apologizing, saying and hoping for the all-rightness of things. And for a moment, he found himself aware. He was hungry. He hadn't seen home in forever. He hadn't seen his brother in weeks, and he couldn't even think of what was going on back at home. And he was alone, so _alone_.

"Are you okay?" the woman asked. She was dressed in the drab robes of the nuns, with the head dress. Her hair was completely covered. She soon had her hands enfolded in the comfort of the robes, and she bowed. John shook his head and put his fist to palm in return.

"Uh, yeah," he said. "I'm okay."

"You're one of the Avatar's companions, aren't you?" she asked.

"Yeah. The name's John."

"Jeong! Nice to meet you. I'm Rei."

"Nice to meet you, Rei," John said.

She cocked her head to the side. "Are you all right?"

"Um, well." Aw, hell man, go for broke. "I'm actually really hungry."

"What!" Rei said. She shook her head. "We better get you something to eat then. Come on in!"

John was hustled in before he could say another word. And all around him were eyes. They were women's eyes. And they were watching him. John couldn't think to do anything but scratch the back of his head.

It was only for a minute. Not even that. They were all eating again just like that. On one side of this space were low tables, where the women were eating. To his right, there were pots. Steamy goodness was coming from them things, and his stomach knotted. Along the wall, there was a low shelf lined with bowls. John picked one up and walked over to the pots. It was vegetarian stuff – rice and veggies, all steamed. But it looked delicious.

He scooped out the rice and went over to sit. And nobody gave him a second look.

--

"Elle!"

Elle looked up from where she was sitting. She was out on the front porch of the home. She'd traded in the light, loose practice clothes for her robes some time ago. It was beautiful, all of this. Power, and using it for her friends, and heaven but what a sunset! Her new home was a wonder.

And now she saw Jannai approaching. She couldn't help but note that his posture was a little _too_ straight. His Heart and Throat chakras were also in a terrific state. Now, why should that be, she wondered.

"Jannai," she said with a nod. "I haven't seen you all day."

He smiled at her and his throat chakra seemed very out of sorts. "We've both been busy," he said. "How did your lesson go with Master Zhang?"

"It went well," she replied. Not as well as she would have liked, though. Spirits, how she wanted to do more! There was so much resting and waiting on this.

"That's good," he said. He sat down next to her, but he didn't relax. If anything, as far as Elle could tell, he was more tense than before. She hoped nothing bad had happened to him. Besides Azula, he and his family were her only friends.

"Lady Elle," Jannai said, "there's something I've been wanting to ask you." H e reached into the folds of his robes and pulled out a pair of pouches.

"Yes? Go on."

"I...feel you should know you are a very wonderful person. You are very special and kind and strong and everything a proper Fire Nation lady should be. Over the time we have spent together, I have become very fond of you. Even if you weren't under my protections, there's nothing I wouldn't do for you."

"And I for you!" Elle said with a smile. "You're a wonderful friend. You saved my life twice. I think you're the best friend I ever had." Or could remember.

"I... ah... yes," he said. He seemed to be fumbling with his pouches. "Friendship is wonderful. But there are other types of affection. Have you ever considered that...after the war, you might...wish for a new home. Have you considered what you would like to do then?"

"No. Why?" Elle asked. She barely remembered life before the war, when she had lived in the Spirit world. How could she think of life after?

He sighed, and his shoulders slumped. "No reason. Here. Have some fire flakes."

Elle shrugged and took the little red pieces. She'd never quite got the taste for them, but she figured she would in time. "Thank you," she said softly.

"Anything for you."

"So what's in the other pouch?" Elle asked.

"Oh, nothing. I had hoped to make a gift of it to you, but I am no longer sure you would want it."

See, it was the little things that made him a good friend. Not that he brought her things, but that he cared enough to think of her. It was... sweet. It was the sort of thing that should be done.

"Jannai?" Elle asked. "Please."

He took a deep breath and let it go like wind from a sail. He put the pouch in her hands and leaned back on his hands. Elle pulled at the drawstring and let it fall open. She took a deep breath.

It was a hairpin. It was a long, narrow piece of lacquered wood. It had flames carved into it, decorating it up and down in long spirals. It was beautiful, and she said so.

"It's all right. You don't have to take it, if you don't want to."

"But I do!" Elle said. "Jannai, this is lovely. I would be honored to have this."

Jannai looked over at her, his eyes wide. "Elle," he said softly, "are you saying you accept this?"

"I do!"

It looked like the sun had fallen on him. Jannai smiled, ear to ear, and had his arms around her before she could say another word. And then he'd let her go, and he was off, running, all manner of decorum done with.

Elle shrugged. It was still a nice gift.

--

Ryan breathed the clean air. He'd managed to get some peace after Zi passed out, and slept outside, under the roof. Nobody gave him any grief over it. He had a feeling this was pretty normal. Fortunately, when he awoke, Zi still seemed to be sleeping off the liquor. He didn't run so much as walk very quickly in an away direction.

Not, however, before asking directions for the nearest abbey.

--

John had taken one look at the boat and scoffed. Fuck that, he thought. Fuck that with fire, and pour salt on the ashes. No way he was going to get on that thing if he didn't have to. He watched as the boat darted back and forth, in and around the rocks. Yeah, he was staying off that thing. He didn't get seasick, but that was something dangerous that he didn't need to be doing. So why do it?

Though it was a hell of a sight, seeing the boat fly like it did. He actually felt his heart leap with it. And he surprised himself when he felt his muscles unclench at the end. He'd been worried.

The crew hopped out of the boat, with that glow on their faces you get from boating. Extreme boating, more like. John watched as Bato did something – and now he was marking the three on their foreheads. And... wait for it... wait for – oh, yeah, there it goes. Sokka blew his top in a very visible way. He stalked off, before he turned on Katara. John couldn't see the face, but he could read Katara's reaction. She followed him, and Bato walked with them.

Aang was looking small against the big blue of the ocean. An orange speck. And, really, it was kind of pathetic. But still. This wasn't cool. Aang hadn't done anything like the right thing. But it wasn't worth this.

That, and the others were going to get the nastiest Frenching of their lives in just a while. So he walked over to the bald kid. He was standing, his monk's garb blowing in the breeze. The staff was more dangling from his hand than anything.

"So," John said.

"So?" Aang asked.

"What do we do from here?"

"Um... well, I don't know what else we can do."

"You mean aside from going on?"

"Yeah! Yeah."

"Hey, man, you all right?"

Aang shrugged his shoulders up and down, rolling his head. John knew that look. That was an attempt to shake it off. John just shook his head.

"Come on," he said. "Day ain't getting any shorter."

Aang gave a slight, sad sort of nod. But they walked, through the shade of the forest. The path felt harder under John's feet. He barely noticed any of it. Honestly, he hated these moments when they had to go through the paces from scene to shining scene. He could get why they'd been cut.

They found themselves back at the abbey. Appa was giving long looks at the Water Tribesmen. John walked over and climbed up the tail, into the large saddle. He let himself lay back and doze, and let the words of the scene wash over him.

He didn't know how long he was in-between awake and asleep before a cool wind slapped him awake. He sat up, blinking. It was the ocean. They were on the beach. John scowled and rubbed his hand across his face. There were voices, now. They were conversing over something. And then one word cut through the fog.

"Katara!" Aang exclaimed.

"Ah, shit," John growled. Yeah, Zuko was a bad man, and that woman – the goth chick – she was something else. But he liked that tribal girl too much. He crawled, low in the saddle to the front. He'd fight, he knew he would.

"So what's the plan now?" John asked.

"What do you mean?"

"The plan. I mean, you're going to catch them again, right?"

Aang frowned and looked off to the sea. John scowled. Damn it, man, get the lead out.

"All right. I'll come in from the sky, hold them off. You look for the others. If they got captured, you'll get them loose."

"I got it," John said. He was glad for staying close to Appa's back when they flew into the air. He was practically crushed to the bottom. He had tears in his eyes from the wind rushing past. Nonetheless, he managed to get his head over the saddle. Where – oh, _there_ was the abbey. It was getting bigger and bigger as they descended. He turned to look at Aang, who leaped from the sky bison's head. Soon the orange wings were flashing on down. And now it felt like they were falling even faster.

And as they got closer, John could see everything in clearer detail. There was the evil devil-badger weasel thing. There was the goth chick. And there was Katara, right along the wall. John felt it in his fingers when his pulse picked up. They were going down, down, down, oh hell, this was a crash -

At the last instant, they stilled their descent. Then, _whump_, and they were on the ground. John wasted no time. He scrambled along the saddle to the back, crawling out, rolling down. He crashed into the opposite wall. He saw stars in the back of his eyes, and for a second he couldn't move. But he shook off the pain, and he crawled to his feet.

He looked out. Aang and Zuko were starting to get into it in earnest. And looking at them, he took it back. He didn't want anything to do with them. The ground shook, and John saw Appa squaring off with the devil-badger.

Oh shit. This was it. Why, oh why didn't he have a water pouch? Oh well, too late for that now. He leaned back against the wall, and felt like he was going to go over a cliff. But suddenly an arm was in his way. He turned his head to look, and his eyes widened.

Ryan shook his head. "No, man, let 'em go."

"What?" John asked.

"I said let them go. We know what's going to happen here."

"But..." John said. He wanted to explain to Ryan that things just didn't work out the same like they thought would happen. But he took a quick look. All the nuns seemed to be gone. The only people here were the ones who were supposed to be... and the two who weren't.

"All right, so what then?"

"Come on, let's get out of the way," Ryan said. John shrugged, and followed his brother along the wall, and back to the entrance. Ryan looked back at the sound of a _boom_, but he didn't look bothered in any way.

"Good, then. You been takin' care all right?"

"I'm fine," John said. He looked back at the fight. It really was more impressive to be here than to watch it. "So, what's up?"

"We got problems," Ryan said.

"What?"

"Elle."

"Man, did you mess up again?"

"You have no idea," Ryan said, grimacing.

"So... are you going to tell me what's so damn big about this or what? I don't have time if you two are having drama."

"She's gone to the dark side."

"Damn it Ryan, I know that," John said, rolling his eyes. "She's with Zhao."

"No, I mean, she's really gone over to the dark side."

"Oh, God _damn_ it, Ryan, what did you do!"

"Tried to rescue her. It didn't go so great."

"No shit," John said. "So what now?"

"She's going to work for the Fire Nation, I'm sure," Ryan said. He rubbed his chin. "They're good to her. She'll be good back to them. Reciprocal prosperity and all that."

"So what then?"

"So every episode with Zhao in it is bound to go not according to plan. I don't know where she is now, but I'm sure she'll tilt everything somehow."

"And what am I supposed to do about it?" John growled.

"Stop her. What else?"

Kill her, John wanted to say, but he chanced a glance over and saw that Jun had just gone down. Time to go. He glanced over at Ryan and gave him a nod before making the mad dash to Appa. He skirted around the edge of the battleground and ran up Appa's tail. He knew Aang had seen him, but he surprised Katara and Sokka.

"Where were you?" Sokka asked.

"Just... around," John said. The future was one of those things these people were to grasp on a need-to-know basis. No reason to make it complicated.

--

Kishi: So, yeah, um. I'm back. Turns out there's plenty of time for writing, when I look for it.

Avatar: The Last Airbender is copyrighted to Bryan Konietzko and Michael DiMartino. I make no profit from this and do it both for practice and for fun.

Special thanks to Hotspur for her cooperation with this project.

Special thanks to Acastus, of Avatar Spirit for the transcription of this episode.


	17. Chapter 17

Kishi: Well, I doubt anyone reads this anymore, and it's your loss! I just figured out how to make this good, see?

---

Kyoudai

Chapter 17

---

Goin' to the chapel and we're gonna get married. Goin' to the chapel and we're gonna get married… - The Dixie Cups

---

Elle had decided that there was no doubt about it. These people knew how to get down in style. The throngs of people were all laughing and there was music floating everywhere on the breeze. She loved it. All this celebrating – after going without so much for the war – it seemed familiar. Almost.

It was a warm night. There were so many lanterns, all with their golden hues and the swash of ink. She was sitting at a long table, not quite in the middle. That was Jannai's place. Let him have it. It was his family's hold after all. And besides, the thought of all those people looking at her made butterflies dance in her stomach.

The table was set with all kinds of different food. Rice and fish and vegetables and fruit. The rice had a certain peppery quality to it, but if she ate some fruit afterward it wasn't so bad. Servants would walk up on occasion and ask if she wanted wine, but she declined it. Somehow, rice liquor had never really been to her taste.

"It's a beautiful night," she said, leaning back in her chair.

Jannai nodded at her. He was grinning, but it was empty, as if he wasn't quite all there. He'd looked like that all night, and she was really starting to worry. Perhaps he had a touch of fever?

They were raised up on a dais, and sitting with them were all the members of Jannai's family, including some she couldn't remember having ever seen before. From where she was sitting, she could see the fire flake vendors. And off to her right, she could see the stage. Right now, there was a young man up, reciting poetry.

"Well, I believe it's time," Jannai said. He stood up. The crowd didn't quiet down immediately, but they didn't waste time.

"My friends!" he said. "Thank you all for coming to celebrate with us today. I can't thank you enough for sharing in my happiness." There was applause. "Oh yes. I am beyond happy. You see, as it so happens, there is one who is very special to me. We're celebrating her today."

More applause. Elle blushed.

"She has taught us and made for us things that we would never have dreamed of. And she works, even now, for the glory of our nation."

She felt like she was on fire at this point. She managed a wave, but she really wished he wouldn't lay it on so thick.

"Yes, what you have done has added to the happiness of the nation, of the world! And you are a great source of my happiness." Jannai was grinning from ear to ear. "You see, people, Elle and I have decided that we are to be wed!"

Which was when the bottom dropped out.

---

"Wait a minute, what?" John was sure, for a second, that his mask was fooling with him.

"John, isn't that your friend up there?" Katara asked.

"No," he said, shaking his head. Elle was supposed to be Ryan's friend. But what was this?

She looked pale as a sheet up there at the noble's announcement. It was probably too much make-up.

The noble blathered on some more about the goodness of this day, or something. John had stopped listening when he saw Elle, though. He was tempted to lift his mask, march up to the dais and ask Elle what the fuck she was doing, getting married, but that would've made things dicey. It was bad enough already.

He heard shouts about a magician. Which meant he had just enough time to get on up. He saw Elle excusing herself from the stage. He edged along the outside of the crowds.

He walked through the milling and the noise to where Elle was taking small steps. People bowed to her when they saw, and she gave dumb nods in return. John almost didn't bow – it was _Elle _– but he didn't want to draw any attention. He bowed, then stood straight as she passed closer to him. She looked over at him and he lifted his mask.

"Elle. Hey, what is this?"

"Hm? What do you mean?"

"I mean, all of this about getting married."

"Hm, oh yes, it's really surprising."

God, what the hell was this?

"It's worse than that. We're supposed to be fixing things here. Where's this marriage shit coming from?"

"Watch your tone!" she snapped. "You ought to know your place, peasant."

"Peasant? Look, you, you're not some damn royal... thing. We're supposed to be going home."

"I am home," Elle said. She didn't look anywhere near as pale as she had before. She narrowed her eyes. "But I can tell by looking at you that you're not. Are you lost? I'm a healer. Maybe I can help you find your way back."

"Elle, what the-" And that was when the explosion sounded from the stage. John hissed something vile as Aang did his thing. He took a quick look back at Elle – and was shocked. She didn't look amazed or amused or anything. She looked angry. Something had made her features still, and she wouldn't take her eyes off of the boy.

"Hey. _Hey_, Elle."

"I have no time for you," she snapped. "Don't you see that's the Avatar right there? I must deal with this."

She tried to turn away, but John took a long step and got in front of her again.

"Look, you pompous bitch, I'm not going anywhere until-"

Then he felt something yank his arm. He felt his fingertips tingling until he saw it was just Sokka. Why was he running?

Oh, wait, yeah. Dammit.

---

Elle stared after the boy as he ran into the crowd. Who was he? And how was he related to the Avatar? She felt like she had the answer, like it was dangling in front of her on a string. If she could just reach...

She could have reached out and paralyzed him. She took a breath and shook it off. Master Zhang would have said she was being too hesitant. She knew better than that.

She looked behind her and spotted Jannai running toward her.

"Elle! Are you hurt?" he asked. He looked like he was back in the military mode, his eyes narrow, moving from one person to the next.

"No... no, I was just talking with someone-"

"He didn't hurt you, did he?"

"No, he didn't lay a finger on me."

"Thank Agni," Jannai said. He heaved a huge sigh. "Come. Let's go back to my family's place."

"I can't do that," Elle said. "Admiral Zhao will hear of this. He's going to need my help."

Jannai opened and shut his mouth a few times, but there was really no arguing with someone who knew the future. He just nodded and turned away.

Elle heaved a sigh. How could he do this to her! It was just so... sudden. Sure, she'd liked the guy, how considerate he was, how much he seemed to care for her. But she'd thought that all of that was just for its own sake. But this... cheapened it somehow. Maybe he hadn't been sincere. Maybe he just wanted her for the money, or for the prestige of marrying the Seer of the Fire Nation. _Men_, she groaned.

She found herself wandering over where the fireworks were going off. She could not see the stars, but the fire was light enough.

"Ah, the Seer. I should have known. Any time the Avatar is near, we can count on you to let him escape."

"Admiral," she said with a nod. She pulled herself back together. Whoever that strange boy was, he was no friend of hers. She didn't have the time to worry about him. Zhao was handful enough.

"Can you at least tell me where they've gone?" he asked. His face was hard, and there wasn't a trace of his telltale smirk.

"Into the forest, up the river," Elle responded.

"I see." Zhao turned to one of the men, and whispered something. The soldier ran off. "We'll be getting the river boats. I'll take care of this. You can go back to your rest."

"Admiral, you'll need me for this," Elle said. "Your old teacher will be there."

"That old man? He won't fight."

"Yes, he will. And that is why you'll need me."

---

It had been only a day. Plenty of time for the weirdness of it to set in.

John followed Katara in the motions of the form. He stepped into slant-fly, holding his right hand out and up, the left down. The motions were becoming second nature to him. This was good. It meant that last night could sink in.

The more it did, the less he understood. Elle had to be acting or something. It was the only way to make it make sense. But why would she go to so much trouble for the cover? He didn't know her that well, but he was pretty sure she hated being in this place. She liked her creature comforts. She couldn't get any of those around here.

"So, that friend of yours," Sokka said. "That _Fire Nation_ friend of yours."

"She wasn't, the last time I saw her," John said. He would have shrugged, but that wouldn't have been proper. He was in form, after all.

"Fire Nation?"

"My friend. But the Fire Nation thing's a shock too."

"John, that's horrible," Katara said.

"Well, it's the truth," John said. "She was my brother's friend. I just use her for ammo."

"Was. So she isn't anymore," Sokka said.

"I dunno," John said. He really didn't. Because, much as he loved to push Elle's buttons, he had to give it to her. She was smart. She knew the right thing to do and she often found a way to do it. But she had to realize there was no point to this sort of accomplishment. So what if she married high class? They were getting out of this dump.

"Hey guys!" he heard Aang shout. "I did it! I made fire!"

John frowned and pushed himself into a deeper stance. He didn't want to be tempted to interfere.

---

They found Jeong Jeong on the beach, just like she'd said they would.

The wall of fire didn't impress her one bit. She found herself studying it instead, wondering if she could see the link between it and the chakras, see if the man was truly in harmony at all. But as Zhao strode through the water and parted the wall, she couldn't tell. She just knew there was a link though, somewhere. She had a sense that it was going to be very important somehow.

"Look at you," Zhao sneered. "You were once so great. I can't believe my former master has become nothing more than a simple savage."

"It is you who have embraced savagery, Zhao," Jeong Jeong said. He looked steady as a rock. It was perfect.

"It's Admiral Zhao, now."

"That title will not help you against the Avatar. Do not try to fight him! You are no match!"

Zhao laughed. "I think I can handle a child."

Now, Elle thought. With a boom, a chain net burst from the foliage behind Jeong Jeong. The old man was good – he gave a high, sweeping kick that roared with fire. But the chains wouldn't burn. It was over in an instant, with the weight of the net crushing him underneath.

"After all," Zhao said, "look at how easily I handled you." Elle rolled her eyes at that. It had been _her_ idea, and she wished she'd have gotten some credit. But it was what it was. As long as the job got done, she didn't really care so much for this man's approval.

"Jeong Jeong!" she heard. She looked. There was the Avatar again – and that strange young man that she felt she ought to know. He took one look at the whole thing, met her gaze, and his face went so very still. He looped his arms around the Avatar and held him, whispering.

"Well, this _is_ a good day!" Zhao said. "Men! Take them!"

There was a burst of wind as the Avatar spun his hands and blasted himself and the other man away. Now, she hadn't foreseen that happening. Still, though. They had managed to capture one of the great enemies of the Fire Nation, and that was one less teacher to help the Avatar.

Elle nodded to herself with a cheerful little grin. It had been a good day.

---

No. Damn it, this was fucking wrong. Elle didn't _do_ like that. She wasn't supposed to be so taken in by the Fire Nation. For Chrissake, she knew how this series was going to end. How the hell could she do something like that?

When Elle had been voted "Most Likely to Change the World," John wasn't sure this was what they'd had in mind. Son of a _bitch_.

"John, what was that?" Aang asked. "I thought you said she was from your world."

"She is!" John snarled. "I don't know what her fucking problem is."

"Can we talk about this later!" Sokka called from atop Appa. John growled in his throat as he dug his feet into Appa's tail.

If it really was what he thought it was – if she was really on their side – they were in for a serious pounding. John lay back in the saddle and put a hand over his eyes.

"John?" Katara asked. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah. Just tired."

---

Ryan punched out into the air. His breath, his form, the unity of harmonies was perfect. A great gout of fire should have been his reward.

Nothing happened.

---

Avatar: The Last Airbender is copyrighted to Bryan Konietzko and Michael DiMartino. I am just a humble fan, and I make no profit from this.


	18. Chapter 18

Kyoudai

Chapter 18

---

We've gotta get out of this place  
if it's the last thing we ever do

- The Animals

---

"Ryan?"

Ryan snapped to attention. Beads of sweat dripped off his nose. Out here on the metal of the deck, pulsing with fire and burning in his muscles, it was easy for him to get hot fast. That wasn't entirely the reason for this, though.

"You are supposed to be moving through your Fire Bending drills," Zuko said. Ryan didn't turn to acknowledge – it would have been outside of protocol and military decorum and all that – but he could hear the metallic clicking of his lord's boots. The prince appeared out of the left corner of his eye, and came around. "So what is this?" he asked.

"My Lord," Ryan said. How was he to say this? Zuko kept looking at him, and Ryan finally said, "I'm afraid my fire isn't burning right."

"Ryan, what are you saying?"

"My Lord, I follow the technique as you say to. And I push it out, and I concentrate on my breath... but..."

"Show me."

Ryan swept down into horse stance and immediately began to punch. Deep breath, whoosh, deep breath, whoosh. Nothing.

"Harder," Zuko said. "Dig deeper. Get angry."

Ryan took a deep breath, seeking to center himself. Deep breath. Let fire build, spreading from the sea of chi in the dan tian. He took a deep breath – it was there – punch – _boom_! The air in front of Ryan exploded, and he flew backwards. He skidded along the deck. He felt along his arms. All the hair on them was burned clean off. Considering how hairy he was, it was quite a feat.

"Well," Zuko said. "Looks like you have it back. Now up on your feet, and get back to work."

Ryan nodded and rolled back to his feet. What the hell had that been about?

---

Shit. Why was it so cold in the cold places of the world? But at least John had a parka, like Sokka and Katara did. Katara, in fact, had been kind enough to make one up for him. He liked to tell himself there was love in the stitches.

He had to think about something funny, because he was sure he'd wring Momo's neck. And it wouldn't be Momo's fault even. Elle going batshit crazy was the problem.

The Northern Air Temple loomed before them out of the clouds.

---

After cleaning up in the bath, Ryan really wanted to think. Something was wrong here.

He passed out of the steely halls and into his room. He folded himself down onto the cushion on the floor. He folded his hands in his lap. His fingers arranged themselves, one set resting on the other, thumbs touching. He took a breath and let it go. There was a thrumming warmth about him, now.

Why had he lacked harmony when he'd done everything he was supposed to do? What could account for it?

Out of the back of his mind, there came Roku's voice – wait, what? That was right. The reality was being ripped. And as things were torn asunder, there were parts of this world that would stop working. Including the Bending. Which meant-

Oh God, Ryan thought. Oh God, oh God. Something's going wrong. Really wrong. But who? How?

It couldn't be John. John could be a hell of a tool sometimes, but he wanted out of this just as much as Ryan did. He wouldn't go out of his way to mess this up. Especially given how much trouble Ryan had gone to to tell him not to make a mess of this.

And it couldn't be him, either. He'd done everything he was supposed to. He'd danced around every single thing that Zuko did, unless absolutely necessary.

So that left...

No. Not Elle. He'd messed up, and messed up hard, but this wasn't logical. No way! She should've wanted out of this more than anyone. And, smart as she was, she knew better than he what could go wrong in this place. She knew how vital it was for them to get out of here and let the story go back to the way it was.

Honestly, Ryan thought, no way he was making good television.

But as much as he hated it, the thought persisted. After all, he had driven her into the arms of Zhao and the enemy. Into that other man's arms. But would she take it so far as that? He had a hard time believing she could be so in love with this place.

---

"Three cheers for the Royal Seer! _Fla-me-!"_

"_O!"_

"_Fla-me-!"_

"_O!"_

"_Fla-me-!"_

Elle laughed. Honestly, this was a little much, but if they wanted to cheer, they could.

Apparently Jeong Jeong and his terrorists had made a royal mess in the town. They'd stolen food, burned storehouses, made the forest an unsafe place to visit. His betrayal, siding alongside the Avatar, had been the final fuse.

Life was good. Life was _really_ good. It wasn't every day you got to be a hero. And she liked it. It wasn't like all those things she'd invented. She'd put pen to paper, and drawn, and that was it. This was different. She had her hands in this now. There was something heady about this. These people were singing praises. Her praises. She could get used to the sound of that.

She'd just stepped out of the house to take in the night air. She could see fireflies dancing in the fields. She took a deep sigh of contentment. It didn't get much better than this.

She felt the weight of a gaze, and she knew it was Jannai somehow. Of course. He'd just said they were going to get married. Who else would it be? She didn't acknowledge him, just kept watching the fireflies like little stars on a sea of grass.

"It's beautiful," Jannai said.

"What?"

"Everything. This night. The fireflies. You. All of everything."

"Oh, we're playing the poet today?" Elle asked.

"Eh. It's not my strong suit. I went into medicine for a reason, you know. I know where my talents lie. But...I'll have a court poet write you a beautiful ballad for our wedding. I want you to be happy."

Elle turned away. "Our...wedding," she whispered. She couldn't remember much about her dead family, but she wished she could even whisper their names. "Yes, we're getting married."

"I know. I still can't believe the princess gave us permission to marry. I mean, I didn't think I would fall in love with the crazy girl who tried to jump off the ship, but you won my heart," Jannai whispered, kissing her hand.

"I tried to jump off a ship?" Elle asked. Jannai paled and stared at his shoes. "Why can't I remember anything? Everything is such a big blank in my mind. I don't have a family, I don't even know who I am."

"You had a fever, my love. You know that, you know it will take time," Jannai soothed. He rubbed her hands in small circles as he spoke. "We've discussed this before. You were deathly ill, and in my care, when a rebel tried to kidnap you to torture you for information. He tied you up in the middle of the woods and left you to die."

Elle grimaced.

"You were recovered, but the experience only worsened your disease. You lay so sick you could barely move and I kept you safe, day and night." This guilt trip was familiar. She'd been down this road before. "And I always will."

"I know, and I appreciate all your efforts," Elle said. She had no idea what to think, she knew she was grateful to the man who had clearly saved her life. "I can't thank you enough. I just…wish…I could remember something."

"Well... if it's memories you want... perhaps…you and I could…get to know each other better now that we are engaged," Jannai said, his hands moving to her sash. "I could…have a bath drawn…"

Something hazy inside her head snapped as his hands got closer to her. "Rubber!" she suddenly shouted. For some reason, she had this wish for rubber!

"What is rubber?" Jannai asked, eyes widening.

"It's the sap of the plant. Properly vulcanized, it becomes a wonderful material for protection," Elle mumbled, wondering how she knew that. "Is that…my prophesies?" she asked.

Jannai had a sour smile. "Indeed…oh, indeed. So…tell me about this rubber," he said, as he led her back to the country house.

---

There wasn't anything in this damn place that was useful to him.

The inventor couldn't invent anything that was going to take away his problems, make them all nice and easy. Elle was crazy. And here, you couldn't fucking fix that.

The only certainty now was that they were going home. No way Elle was going to stop him, no matter how hard she worked to stop him. How was he supposed to get around her and keep everything the same?

Or could he? Should he even bother? If Elle wasn't going to play by the rules, why the hell did he owe it to her to?

But no, that wasn't any good either. Fucking with the flow of events meant fucking up his Bending. He couldn't deal with that. Hell, what if it fucked up Katara's? Or Aang's? What if things went wrong at the wrong time?

But then, Elle was messing with the flow of things already. Even if he didn't really interfere any further, Elle was going to make a damned mess out of things already. Why did he owe to her to let it go any further on her terms?

That girl. She was the source of all the problems. It was her fault. Not them coming here – that was Ryan, John wouldn't forget that – but if she hadn't been there in the first place then nothing like this could have happened. She wouldn't have been the damsel in distress and she wouldn't be playing gold digger to the Fire Nation.

Maybe she deserved to stay here. Maybe she deserved whatever she got. Maybe she deserved to never go home. But, still... he sighed and shook his head. Even if they left her here, that would just make trouble for the people who lived here already. And Ryan would piss and moan about it for months, years, on and on.

God damn it. Why couldn't he just take Katara back with him to his world?

He looked down the mountain and saw three figures cloaked in red. Ah. They were coming to the fun part.

---

Only one thing was clear at the end of Ryan's meditation. They had to get out of here.

---

Avatar: The Last Airbender is copyrighted to Bryan Konietzko and Michael DiMartino


	19. Chapter 19

Kyoudai

Chapter 19

---

_Strangers in the night, we were two lonely people_

_We were strangers in the night_

-Frank Sinatra

---

"Seer."

"Admiral," Elle said with a nod. Behind her, the boxes were being laid down by the workers from the factory. She'd put her idea into action, and by Agni's blessings there was an abundance of the right trees for this kind of work.

"What are you bringing us?" Zhao asked.

"I come bearing gifts," Elle said. "Mighty gifts to aid you in the siege of the north." A pair of workers brought forward one of the crates, and at her gesture, they pried the top off. Elle reached in and picked up a block of rubber. It was thin, about the size of a large man's chest.

"What are they?" Zhao asked warily. "More supports? You won't find many women amongst my crew."

"Zhao, I bring to you the next step in armor. It's soft, flexible, and light weight – until you cut or stab it."

"How... interesting."

"Allow me a demonstration," Elle said, throwing the rubber plate at Zhao's feet. Zhao narrowed his eyes at her, but he gestured for a couple of soldiers to come forward. They both had straight swords, and Elle watched as they took turns stabbing down into it. And just as her vision had suggested, the plate did not give. Not at all. One of them lifted the plate and held it out while the other slashed into it with all his might. The sword got stuck there, but it barely had any give to it.

Zhao didn't look impressed, but she hadn't believed he would.

"And when it needs to be repaired, you can melt rubber to fill in the cracks far more easily than smelting more metals," she said. And that was all she needed to say. Zhao gave her a curt nodded before turning away. Probably off to another meeting or something. This was fine. It would give her a chance to get settled onboard.

But... oh, wait. That was right. There was one thing that needed to be taken care of.

"Admiral," she said, "when you are done, I need to speak with you in private. I have had some visions lately that would be most useful to you."

-

So, this was the city of the Northern Water Tribes. It was too damned cold for John's liking, but he had to admit it was impressive. He heaved a breath and watched it fog. Soon, he'd be learning from Master Pakku, the great one. This was the guy who managed to turn Katara into a badass, and she was already pretty bad to begin with. He didn't know how much time passed between those episodes... maybe a week? A month? He didn't know. He just knew that it would be time enough.

He reclined against the edge of the saddle. The last time it had been this cold was when he'd lived in Michigan. Still, not bad for the North Pole. Not even Aang was doing that badly, and he was only dressed in his robes. Maybe this was just a warmer world. Or maybe his being a Water Bender had something to do with it. He'd have to ask Katara about it.

Later. After they'd settled in.

-

"Honestly, my lord, why are we sitting in the dark?"

Before Zuko could answer, there was a knocking on the door. It opened up, and Iroh stepped in. Ryan had half a moment to think, Oh dear, before Zhao stepped into the room. He folded himself up off the floor. No proper bodyguard had any business sitting on the floor. Still, though, this wasn't a dangerous situation, not yet -

Elle stepped into the room after Zhao. Ryan wanted to swear.

He bit his tongue, though, and kept his eyes on Zuko. But try as he might, he just couldn't focus on what was being said. He knew all of it already; he'd seen it all. And he found himself sneaking looks over at Elle. She looked... well. But she didn't so much as look his way. She kept her back straight and her eyes forward.

She even had that tilt in her neck that made it look like she was looking down her nose at you. Wow. There wasn't any recognizing this girl. None at all.

Still, couldn't blame her. This was probably the 'silent treatment' stage.

Elle didn't say a word, and when Zhao left the room, Ryan and Zuko stared at each other.

"What," Zuko asked, "was that seer doing here?"

"I don't know," Ryan said. "My Lord, I... honestly do not know."

-

"So it's true. Zuko really is the Blue Spirit."

"Was there ever a doubt, Admiral?"

"Yes."

Elle bit back a snarl. How could he doubt her so? She had been a good citizen of the Fire Nation as long as she could remember!

"Still," Zhao said, "this is fortuitous. I can remove that thorn from my side once and for all, and without any obstacles. And I have just the contacts to make it happen."

"I know," Elle said. "Sadly, he will live through it."

"Seer, I highly doubt you could know that outcome-"

"You are going to use the pirates," Elle said. "They will plant bombs and blow Zuko's boat to smithereens. He will live. I have seen it."

"Fine then," Zhao snapped. "There are other ways to solve this problem."

-

"You can teach yourself," Pakku said, and his face was carved from ice for all the emotion he was showing.

John stood back, watching this scene play out. When the hell was it going to finish? He wanted to train. He'd been wowed by Pakku and his students at the event that night, and now was the time. He'd rock this no matter what. He wanted to keep going with his training, especially when he'd been able to keep up with Katara in the training. If she could be all water ninja and everything, then maybe, just maybe...

Katara stalked off, and John stepped back toward the others. His gaze slid over to Pakku, who swept his arm. There was a rush of water up from the ice. It slammed into John like the biggest hammer ever. He slid, flattened out along the ice, and when the waters subsided he was coughing. He struggled back to his feet.

"That," Pakku said, "is your first lesson. Water Bending is about flow. You flow from stance to stance, and the water flows with you."

"Right," John said. "Water flows. So, like..." He stepped out, sweeping his arm up into the first ward-off, like he was holding a giant ball on his arm.

"How long have you been a Water Bender?" Pakku asked.

"A while," John said. "Probably a year or so."

"I see," Pakku said. "You'll have to go to the other students. I need to teach the Avatar."

"I..." No, John, don't do it, he thought. Pakku was looking at him with a raised eyebrow. John nodded and bowed. "Where do you want me to go, master?"

"The other students are off in the practice house, there." Pakku pointed, and John looked to see a long, low structure. It looked like a lodge, an old Iroquois lodge, only made out of snow. The man structure over there, and the wigwam place over on the other side. Figured.

John jogged in the early morning sunlight. He needed to. It was cold as balls now. He'd loved seeing the Northern Lights out here, and he could see why Dad had loved living in the far north. But this cold was bullshit.

A chill wind smacked the breath from him. Man, _fuck_ the north.

He walked into the lodge – well, it wasn't really a lodge, it was more like a kwoon, if he thought about it – and took stock. In here there were nothing but men and boys. They were dressed in blue parkas with the hoods down. He couldn't see anything on them that smacked of any kind of rank. They were just there, passing water back and forth. Some of them were, anyway. Others were going through a form that reminded him of the taiji form he'd learned back home. Others were doing push-hands drills.

Definitely a lot like back in the old class.

A man who wasn't much older than he was seemed to be directing the class. He was shorter than John by half-a-head, and he wore his long brown hair in a braid. His posture was absolutely perfect.

John stood there at the entrance, waiting. He knew it wasn't polite to just walk up and say, _Hey, train me_. But he wasn't interested in wasting time either. The man looked over at him soon enough, took in the too-light color that marked him as he was, and strode over.

"Can I help you?" he asked.

"Yes sir, my name is John. Ah, Master Pakku sent me over here..."

"Oh, you must be the one traveling with the Avatar," he said. He put fist to palm and bowed. "I am Desna, one of the students." A stand-in. It made sense. Built character.

"Yes sir. If it's all right, I would like to study with you today."

"Of course! Come right this way. Class, break!" The entire class broke out of stance immediately. They turned to look over at Desna and John both. And that was when John remembered he didn't do crowds.

"Class, say hello to our newest student, John! He will be studying with us for the duration of the Avatar's stay." Everyone in the kwoon gave him the bow, and he returned it to them. "And, resume!" Just like that, they were back at work. The water that had fallen to the ground and froze was reliquified.

"So, we shall need to get you into drill," Desna said. "Are you acquainted with the exercise 'Water Sphere Meditation?'"

"Can't say I am," John replied.

"Ah. Well, it's very simple. Take your stance."

John did so, lowering himself down and holding his legs bent just slightly.

"Very good. Now, bring up your arms. Take water with them."

John breathed in, lifted his arms. Water lifted up from the ice at his feet. He wasn't sure he was ever going to get used to it, but that didn't change the fact that it was cool.

"Very good. Now you will hold this stance. You should be able to hold it for an hour. During this time, I want you to meditate on the sphere of water you're holding."

... shit, John thought as Desna turned away.

-

"So, we are clear on this point."

"Lord Admiral," Elle said, "I fear I must protest this."

"Very well then, Seer," he said. "What do you suggest?"

"You leave the matter alone. He's a child and you're an admiral. Isn't chasing him around beneath your dignity?" Elle asked.

Zhao angrily shot a flame at her face. It wasn't intended to touch her, but it was a very direct threat. And her powers didn't work long-range. She would have to move closer.

"Yes. It is. And that is exactly why you are going to take care of him for me."

Elle raised her chin. Now was the time to act like a leader. She was a future governor's wife, her people would look to her.

"The princess said…" she began.

"The princess isn't here. And she may execute me for pushing you overboard, or she might enjoy my conquest of the Tribes so much, she might not. But either way, you'll be at the bottom of the ocean, frozen solid."

Elle steeled herself. The coward wouldn't risk it. "I think the crew would mutiny if you killed me. They'd not want the princess's wrath on them. And if you have a mutinying crew, you can't invade the North Pole. So I think I'll live."

Zhao smiled at her words. "_I_ think that you will do as I say, or I will interrogate the crew in front of you. And I will extract the information by any means needed," he said. "We can start with thumbscrews…or just burn their feet."

Elle wondered if she could sneak up close enough to block his third chakra forever. "And if I accuse Zuko, one boy suffers for the whole crew?" she demanded. "This is absurd! You would do anything to destroy your enemies?"

"Yes. I'm so glad we are finally understanding each other. And now, you have a task to do," Zhao said. "Who attacked you in the fortress?" he asked.

"Prince Zuko," Elle whispered. Her stomach roiled.

-

The evening was clear. The stars were twinkling. There was just something in the air that made it seem like he could just reach out and grab them out, like picking diamonds out of velvet or something... something... something poetic he was sure.

"So you are sure that your friend is the root of the problem?" Iroh asked.

"I am," Ryan said. "I'm not gonna put it past John to mess things up, but he isn't liable to do stuff like that."

"I see. Well, it's a shame," Iroh said. "She seemed like a sweet girl."

"Yeah..." Ryan said. Still, that girl plus Zhao made things complicated. He didn't want to deal with it.

They crested a hill, and Ryan was surprised to see the place swarming with redcoats. They were ranked up in front of Zuko's ship. Well, now, wasn't that strange, thought Ryan. What were they doing there? The ship was supposed to be blown up by now and they should be getting here just in time to see the fireworks...

On second thought, maybe this was better. Maybe. Ryan and Iroh strode down the hill and through the ranks of soldiers. Up the gangplank and on the deck and there was Zuko in his silks. He stood there, arms crossed, rigid, stiff.

Something was up here, that it was. But Ryan had no idea what. Not until Zhao and Elle came up out of the bowels of the ship and onto the deck.

They way they did was almost perfect, Ryan thought. Theatrical.

"Milord," Ryan said. "What, may I ask, is going on here?" But before Zuko could respond, Zhao cut him off.

"Oh, good. We're all here." The man had a smirk. Bad sign, that. "We are here today to see that justice be done"

"Then see it done," Zuko said. "Get off my ship."

"I cannot do that, Prince Zuko. You see, I have come here today to make an arrest. The Royal Seer of the Fire Nation has decreed that her kidnapper has been aboard this ship the entire time. I am under royal authority to see to it that the kidnapper is arrested and brought to trial for his crimes."

Oh crap. Something in Ryan's chest seized. No wonder she'd been so icy to him before. She was planning on seeing him arrested for his crime. His breathing picked up and his hands clenched, but he couldn't move. For all the fire crackling along his nerves... nothing. He wanted to run, jump over the side of the ship, swim and run again as far as his legs would take him. Or fight. Fight and just let this nightmare end on the tip of a sword.

But he did nothing. He just stood there, his heart hammering and stance stiff. Zuko, if he was feeling anything, was hiding it a lot better than Ryan was.

"Very well, then, Admiral Zhao," Iroh said. "We have nothing to hide. Take the kidnapper from our crew and be on your way."

"Oh, I will." Zhao reached to his belt and pulled out a scroll. He handed it to one of the attendant soldiers, who took the scroll and began to read.

"On this day," the soldier read, "the Lord Admiral Zhao, of the Fire Nation, on the authority of Fire Lord Ozai, anointed of Agni and sovereign of the realm, places Crown Prince Zuko under arrest for endangering a ward of the state, kidnapping, and treason."

Ryan couldn't believe it. His legs felt like they were made of straw. He looked over at Zuko, whose golden eye was wide. The soldiers came forward, and Ryan could feel Iroh's hand on his shoulder as he was pulled away.

"Hold it Zhao!" Zuko shouted. "You know as well as I do that you need a witness to make such an arrest. Ask anyone of my crew and they would tell you that I'm innocent."

"I'm sure they would. Which is why I didn't ask one of your crew." As Zuko's eye narrowed, Zhao turned over to Elle and asked, "Can you identify your attacker?"

Ryan watched as she lifted up her hand, pointed one finger at Zuko and said, "Yes. Zuko was the one who kidnapped me."

What the hell was this? The guards grabbed Zuko and wrench his arms around for the chains.

"Be gentle!" Elle said. "Do not treat him so harshly!"

Ryan felt almost giddy enough to shout that it made no difference because they had the wrong man, but in the end he said nothing. Zuko was shoved forward, and steered towards the gangplank. Zhao and Elle followed. Ryan noticed that her head was bowed, a little, and her steps seemed slower. When she reached the gangplank, she stopped. Ryan was afraid for a moment that she would turn around and have him arrested too. But then the guards came up behind her and she took one step, then another.

He waited until all of Zhao's guards were down the plank before he exhaled. His gut loosened, and he felt like a noodle. Man, what a close call, he thought. And immediately, that curdling in his stomach. How could he be relieved when his charge was just placed under arrest?

"This..." Ryan said. He was trying to think of something to say, but Iroh caught on before he could finish.

"Do not worry," Iroh said. "Things are not what they seem."

"Really? Because I was just under the impression that your nephew had been dragged off the ship in chains. Please correct me if I am wrong."

"No, you are correct in that," Iroh said. "But there's something strange about this. Did you notice your friend?"

"What about her?"

"She didn't want my nephew to be ill-treated. If she really thought he was the kidnapper, do you think she would care?"

Huh. Come to mention it, he had a point. That might even explain why she'd been reluctant to leave the ship. But then...

"Wait. Zhao could have killed two birds with one stone. He could have had me arrested for the kidnapping and caught the Prince for conspiracy... so why didn't she..."

"I don't know," Iroh said. "What I do know is that we need to get on Zhao's ship. Come with me. I have a plan."

---

It turned out to be a good thing that John liked sushi. Because in the North Pole, there wasn't much else to eat.

He was sitting on the floor of the kwoon, along with the rest of the students. It seemed that this place was more or less the meeting place for the students. They took their meals together here and trained here. They were sitting together now in clumps of two or more, chatting and eating.

John was glad for the rest. They'd kept him in stance all day. It had started easy, but _they _had noticed, so they had him lower his stance little by little, roll his spine bit by bit. Now his arms felt limp, and his legs did not feel like they could move. He was actually kind of surprised. But at least now he was warm.

He felt footsteps in the ice and turned to look at Desna. The instructor sat down with his bowl of soup.

"You did good out there today," Desna said.

"Thank you."

Desna nodded. "So, you been traveling all this time with the Avatar?"

"Yes sir."

"You must have seen a lot."

"Enough," John replied. "The only real thought for me was getting here."

"Oh, that's a shame. Water cannot travel without flowing and picking up," Desna said.

"Picking up... what, dirt?"

Desna chuckled a little at that.

---

"I'm sorry for what happened today."

"Don't be. I had no idea my nephew could be so hard-hearted. What he did was despicable."

Elle gave a smile that sapped all of her strength. She couldn't tell him the truth: that it was all a set-up, and that Zhao was the real monster. If she did, she was sure she'd be found out. And it was horrible that an innocent boy had to suffer, but if it meant that the crew could be kept safe, then...

She and Iroh were sitting together at a table in his quarters. The scent of jasmine tea steadied her, seemed to clear her mind. And this man, Iroh, was wonderful. He seemed a gentle sort, hardly deserving of a title like 'Dragon of the West.' A relative like this would have helped Zuko become a fine young man.

"So what will you do now?" she asked.

"Admiral Zhao has asked me to come along side him as a general. To make up for my nephew's shame, I must do it."

"That's very good of you," Elle murmured. "May you have fortune."

"Well, if the seer says so," Iroh said with an easy laugh. Elle couldn't help her smile becoming a little more real. Iroh really was a good man.

"Still, though, it may be time for you to be back to your quarters. I foresee your fiancee being worried in the near future."

"Of course. It'll be dinner soon. Thank you for the tea, it was lovely."

"Of course! I am always glad to share. Now, let one of my guards see you back." Elle nodded, stood, and walked from his room. One of the guards standing at his door fell into step behind her. She walked back along the hallways, watching soldiers step aside for her and bow as she passed.

It was all distant to her. Like some big show or a play. Everyone had their parts. Hers was to make sure nobody got hurt.

They were near her room when the guard behind her spoke suddenly.

"You can say you hate me now."

How odd. She turned to look back at him, and she didn't know what to say. Why would he say such a thing?

"I mean it," he said. "I can deal with your liking me or hating me, but I need to know one way or the other what it's going to be."

"Why would I hate you?"

"Haven't I given you enough reasons?"

"No... can't say that you have," she said, keeping her words slow. She could feel the soldier's gaze on her from the skull faceplate before he reached and pulled it out. She was surprised at the sight of him. His eyes were a strange green-and-brown. He must have been from one of the colonies.

"You really don't?" he asked.

"Not at all! And, for that matter, I'll hear none of this about hating you. I'm sure you're a wonderful person, and I hope good things happen for you."

The young man's eyes widened before he said, "That... that's very kind of you."

His chakras were roiling. Something about this boy was strange. He didn't seem to be all that unsettled, but she could see a great conflict in him, something that she didn't see in many soldiers here. She didn't see anything hostile in him, though.

"Are you far from home?" she asked.

"Yes."

"Well, that won't do. Why not come into my quarters for a moment? I have a messenger hawk. Maybe we could-"

"No, that's all right," he said. "My family's a long way from here. But who knows? Maybe you knew my family growing up. My dad worked for the National Bureaucracy in the capitol."

"That is perfectly likely," Elle said with what she hoped was a winning smile. "You shouldn't lose touch."

"I know what you mean," the soldier said. "In fact, I-"

"Soldier, you have ten seconds to tell me why you are out of uniform while on duty." Elle could feel Jannai's steps in the metal of the floor. The soldier quickly flicked his mask back into place and bowed.

"Apologies, sir. This soldier believed he was off-duty."

"I see. You were released to escort the Seer, not from your shift. Return to your post at once."

"Returning, aye. Milord, milady." He bowed again and walked away.

"Who was that?" Jannai asked as Elle turned around.

"Him?" She shrugged. "Just a soldier far from home."

-

Kishi: And that's that for this chapter. I got to admit, I dunno how we got _here_, to this point, but I think I see a way to make things better. It involves more updates. Yes. Yes, it does. You shall see them. And I think y'all just might end up liking where this goes.

Disclaimer: Avatar: The Last Airbender is copyrighted to Bryan Konietzko and Michael DiMartino. I am just a humble fan, and I make no profit from this.


	20. Chapter 20

Kyoudai

Chapter 20

-

It's so long that now I think I was wrong  
And you were laughing along  
And now I look a fool for thinking you were on

My side

-_Keane, Is It Any Wonder_

-

The only way to really get any kind of improvement in the martial arts was to spar. They'd been at it now, at least an hour a day, for weeks.

For John, it had been a surprise. He was used to Taiji being something slow and simple and gentle. And it was those things. But there was more to it than just looking good when wet. Master Pakku was a stern believer in pushing things to the limit.

"It's senseless and brutal, letting things get to that point," he'd said. "But that doesn't mean it doesn't happen. You have to be ready to fight using any means necessary. Even if that means not using your bending."

It turned out that Water Bending was about more than moving water. It was also about moving people. It was about good old-fashioned wrestling when it came right down to it.

John reflected on this in the split second it took for Desna to throw him, right before crashing to the ground. It was cold down on the ground, and he hadn't hit the snow right. The breath had left him. Knocked out of him, more like.

Desna pulled him back up and brushed the snow off.

"You need to watch your weight," Desna said. "Stay grounded. Watch your jing and wait for me to present it."

John knew that. He'd been hearing it every day for the past week. Patience! Patience, over and over again. But nothing could change the fact that he was getting more and more impatient. He wanted to fight. He knew the fire Nation would be showing here soon.

He'd taken to watching Katara do her matches, waiting for her to beast that one student in particular, old what's-his-name. Only problem was, she'd started whipping the school up and down probably within a week. It was just common for her to get the job done easy. She didn't waste time. She didn't have to, not here, not now.

Man, he thought. Just let the black snow get here and be done already.

-

Ryan stepped down into the brig. On his tray was the food for Zuko – only semi-warmed. This far north, heat needed to be conserved for the sake of the valuable folk. Prisoners didn't need to have hot food, or even good food. Just some rice and fish.

He spotted Zuko almost immediately. There was no mistaking him. His head was covered in stubble. He was dressed now in a red shirt and pants. Seeing his prince that way caused his heart to warm a little toward the Fire Nation. As hard-hearted as these people were, at least they wouldn't leave a man naked to the cold.

"Food for you, my prince."

Zuko didn't move, except to give Ryan a flat, level look.

"How far are we from the Water Tribe?" Zuko asked.

"It won't be long. I'd give it a day or two. Zhao isn't wasting any time."

"I see. Have you and Uncle figured out a plan yet?"

"We're working on it," Ryan said. It wasn't easy, though. Elle's fooling around, creating the assembly line and all of that had made the armada bigger than he'd thought. And it had already looked freaking massive in the show. He couldn't put any number to the amount of ships he was seeing now.

"Don't worry," Zuko said.

"Hm?" Ryan asked.

"I said, don't worry. You'll figure a way to get out of this."

"Well, getting you out isn't the hard part," Ryan said, his voice low. "It's getting you out without the guards noticing. I think... I may have an angle to work with here."

"Do tell."

"We have a plan. The general and I got some help." Ryan laid a small bag across the tray. "Take these herbs. You'll come down with a fever and look horrible, but it will flush out of your system."

"You sure you trust it?"

"I got it from a healer, it's safe. That way, no one will be shocked when you aren't moving around much. After that, we're switching you with a guard."

Zuko raised his eyebrow. "That's brilliant. Did my uncle think of it?"

Ryan scowled but nodded. Yeah, yeah. Give the credit to the thinking guy. Not Ryan, no. Why thank the guy who actually got the work done?

"Good luck," he said. "We'll switch you at midnight tomorrow."

-

"Seer, if I could have a moment of your time."

Wow. It almost sounded like Zhao was coming around to the fact that she was on his side. Elle paused as the rest of the generals filed out.

"Yes, admiral? What is it?"

He stepped toward her. She knew he was so much taller than she was, but she also knew that she couldn't just back down to him either. She stood her ground, and looked him in the eye.

"I believe I would be remiss if I were to demonstrate... ingratitude at this time. The fact of the matter is, you have done a great deal for the sake of this Nation, and for me."

"It was my duty."

"Indeed, but not in vain. It has been your inventions that have bolstered the ranks of this fleet. We currently have four times the ships I had originally planned upon for the invasion. In addition to that, one must consider the nature of the armor, and that it is every bit as strong while being perfectly suited for fighting in the north." Zhao sighed. "For better or worse, it seems that I am in your debt. And, I must say, that I don't know what to make of it."

"It's not a normal position for you."

"I'm afraid it's not. So, I'd like to make it up to you. Consider it a personal thanks."

Wow, so he could be reasonable. This must have been her lucky day, thank Agni.

"Such thanks won't be necessary," she said with a small smile. "To serve my nation is my only reward."

Zhao closed the door behind him, leaving a lone soldier in the room. "You know, you've been extremely useful to me. You have the little banished Prince in my brig, you've told me where to find the Avatar, and even the means to win this battle. I must say, you're a special young lady," he said, his smile going from polite to cruel. "And I think you've done quite enough."

Elle had a retort ready, but she hadn't counted on Zhao grabbing her throat and squeezing. She tried to find his chakras, but her eyes were watering as she gasped for air.

"Now, I can't have you taking away my moment of triumph. So I'm afraid you'll have to die," he continued. "And even in death, you'll be useful. When your body is found in General Iroh's room…well…that old womanizer will never be able to recover his reputation. Trying to silence a witness against his precious nephew…"

Elle clawed at his hands, as she choked.

"You know, watching you die is quite entertaining, but I can't have your body too marked up by choking," Zhao laughed, as he slammed her against the wall and let her slump. "People would get suspicious. The general would only need a few blows to finish you off."

"Please…have mercy," Elle whispered. Her mind was spinning from slamming into the wall. "I'll do what you say." She tried to stand up, but collapsed in a terrified huddle.

"Too little, too late, my young seer," Zhao said, pulling her to her feet and into a cold metal darkness. "You're going back to the spirit world, where freaks like you belong."

Elle realized only as the door slammed that besides utter darkness, closets held a worse terror. There was no air. It was a sealed chest. She was going to suffocate if she didn't get out!

She clawed desperately at the doors, but the lack of air stopped her from screaming. She could only gasp as the precious lungfuls got harder to get. She had no visions. Only the black.

-

Ryan had watched Elle go in, and had a bad feeling that something was happening in there. Call it a sixth sense, but he figured that any time Zhao and Elle spent in the same room would turn out badly for one of them.

He knocked on the door, hoping to deliver a message and just reassure himself that Elle hadn't clawed out someone's eyes.

"What is it?" from behind the door. Ryan stepped inside.

"Sir, the men are assembled and are awaiting your command. The invasion force requires last inspection," he said, saluting. His gaze darted from corner to corner. Elle was no where in sight.

Zhao nodded and leisurely left the room. "Excellent. See to it that this room remains in exactly the same condition as it is now." he said.

Ryan waited until Zhao had left before sliding over and gliding the door shut. The clank of the gears sounded far too loud for his ears. But nobody came to the door, so he heaved a breath.

"Where is she?" Ryan demanded, forgetting protocol. "Where is Elle?"

"She's my enemy. What does it matter?" the other soldier asked in a frigid voice. "She's none of your concern." But his eyes had flickered to a metal closet and the pieces snapped in Ryan's mind.

"Don't move her. When she's dead, I'll put her in Zhao's bed. Everyone will think he killed her. He'll be disgraced and I'll get a second chance." Ryan was already trying to pry open the door and in a second, had pulled a gray Elle out of the closet. He knelt down with her, letting her recline in his arms.

"Please be alive," he muttered. He ran his fingers along her neck, looking for her pulse. Images of her family flashed in his mind. No way did he want to tell the Mikus how their precious daughter had died in this place. Come on, come on... there!

He heard the clomping of metal boots on the floor. He didn't look up, but he knew that Zuko was over him.

"How dare you?" Zuko hissed. "This will ruin _everything_. If Zhao comes back and knows she's missing, he'll have the ship searched and we'll be found." Ryan said nothing. "Answer me! She is my enemy. How dare you save her?"

"I think the general would stand with me, that murder of a Fire nation citizen is wrong," Ryan said as he stroked Elle's icy hands. "Is this the way you want to return to power, stepping over bodies, one by one? You just stood there and waited for her to die. Whatever happened to 'Those soldiers love and defend our nation! How can you betray them?' How can _you_ betray _her_?"

"Ryan," Zuko grated, "if I let her live, she will have me hunted down. She thinks I kidnapped her, and if she ever figures out it was you..."

"She's the one who helped free you from the dungeons. She's the one who mixed the herbs." Some warmth was coming back to her hands. He was no doctor, but he figured she'd be all right. She seemed to be breathing normally. "It turns out Zhao threatened to torture the entire ship unless she accused you. And besides, she's so addled that I don't think she'll ever remember it was me."

Zuko shut his mouth at that point. Ryan looked at him, met his gaze and did not flinch.

"But that shouldn't matter. She needed help, and you, her Prince, left her to die. Now, if you really want to do the honorable thing, you'll get out of my way so I can hide her."

Zuko shook his head. "I'll hide her. You keep watch. It's my... responsibility."

"Sure you won't hide her in a closet?"

"Watch it. I'll take care of her."

"But if they catch you…"

"They won't."

-

"Katara."

"Oh, hey John."

"Hey. Um. Sorry."

"What about?"

"I haven't been around to see you and Sokka and Aang or anyone. I've just been stuck training."

"There's nothing wrong with that."

"Well, no, I guess not. But I didn't want to be the first time I saw you again to be when... you know, this."

"Yeah. How do you feel?"

"Honest? I'm... kind of looking forward to this."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Back where I'm from, this is what I was getting ready for."

"So you were training to be a soldier?"

"..."

"No?"

"No. Sort of a... warrior, I guess you'd say."

"Wow."

"Dunno if that'll save me here or not, but... I'll try to look out for you too, okay?"

"Okay. Listen, I've got to go see Sokka. I'll see you!"

"Yeah. See you."

That, John thought, didn't go anything according to plan. But that was then. She had left to go see to Sokka in case he should be in the middle of any kind of tomfoolery.

"Stop those fireballs!"

Oh, yeah. Thinking about the Girl was a really bad move in the middle of siege. But it was strange. His hands and feet were moving in time with his peers, catching some of the balls. But not all. There were so many. So many. And even with them stopping some, more fell into the wall, through it, into houses. Into people.

He remembered when it first started. In the movies, a flaming boulder came with this rushing sound, or this whistling noise. Something to show the audience that, yes, shit was getting ready to happen. But there wasn't anything like that here. You just saw it, and you saw it come down, and the only noise was the _whumph_ when it struck.

That wasn't quite true, he thought, moving his hands along with the other Water Benders. The first ones to hit the walls, those had made cracking noises. But more came, in over the wall. The icy ground beneath him shook when they landed.

And he just. He couldn't concentrate. He could feel the water, feel the flow, like weight on his limbs that sloughed off or on at his whims. And he could guide it. But whenever he thought about the bodies-

and there it happened again. It smelled like bad barbecue and burning dog hair all at the same time.

He wondered where Katara was.

The sun sank in the sky. Through the smoke of the fires, it looked blood red.

-

"Don't worry, General. I will look after him. He'll have a tight net if I have anything to say about it."

"I am grateful, Ryan."

Ryan glanced down. Zuko was already halfway to his canoe. He'd shifted into winter clothing, and Ryan had managed to find some garb for himself. It was a bit of a tight fit, but no matter. So long as it kept him warm he'd be cool with it.

He felt Iroh's hand on his shoulder as he made to descend.

"He told me about what happened. With you and the Seer. You have my deepest thanks."

Um. What did you say to something like that?

" If Zuko had let her die, he would have started down a road very much like his father's. It would have been a tragedy. But you have saved him from that. From my heart, I thank you, and I am your friend always."

"... it is an honor, Iroh. I will strive to live up to it."

-

Elle awoke.

Or, rather, she opened her eyes. It wasn't dark here. It was warm and she felt snug and safe. She could breathe. There was a buzzing in her head, though. She tried to sit up, and the room spun.

"Careful," Jannai said. "Take it easy."

"Where am I?" she asked.

"The infirmary. After I found you in the conference room I... I thought I should bring you straight here."

"You... saved me?" But... how could that be? She remembered a soldier. His eyes did not have the same hard cast to them as the others. And a name... what was it? "Where's Ryan?"

"There is no Ryan. I found you. I saved you. Now, stay still. Try to rest. I'll keep you hidden here-"

There was a clanging at the infirmary door. With barely a sound, Jannai was up. He'd snapped a curtain about her before she could even blink, it seemed like. In the next second, the door banged open.

"Easy there, soldier," she heard Jannai say. "I thought the battle was slowing down."

"It is. I'm here on orders from Zhao." Elle stiffened in her bed.

"Oh really?" Jannai asked. His voice was light. Bored. "What does the admiral want with me?"

"Reports have surfaced that the Seer has gone missing. I'm here to inspect for her whereabouts."

"Feel free. But keep it down, will you? We do have patients trying to rest here."

Elle could hear slow, measured steps striding into the room. It felt like there was a drum in her chest. And with every step it seemed she felt herself beat just a touch harder. Closer... closer... clo- a shadow appeared across the screen. Huge and with horns. Warm as she had been, she felt like she'd been doused in ice water.

"What's with this one?"

"Ah, yes. Poor man. He was working the catapults on one of the front lines when the Avatar hit. He's suffering severe burns. I've put up the curtain to give him a little relief."

"Hm. Guess he didn't... _see_ it coming?"

"How could he?"

"Hm. Well, if the Seer isn't here, then I'll have to keep on looking. You keep an eye out for her."

"Will do."

The shadow disappeared. Elle figured that was as good a time as any to pass back out.

-

"They're coming up for air somewhere. Come on, Ryan."

Swimming? In the frozen north?

... I think this is what hate feels like.

-

The moon was out. John could feel it. Not that he had never felt it before, but here, where there was nothing but water all around him it was easier to notice it. And there really was no other way to describe the feeling, like if he pulled the entire world would pull with him. The water was part of him in some way that the moon made more real.

It didn't stop him from being tired as balls, though. With the Fire Nation holding off on their full assault, Chief Arnook had figured it would be good to repair the walls. John couldn't remember the damage being this bad on the show. In the show, it had been a few cracks – nothing serious, though, just cosmetic stuff.

But now? The wall was practically demolished. Holes gaped out at the sea. There was no smoke, no smell of it. John guessed that the water must have had something to do with that. There wasn't any steam – everything cooled way too quick for that kind of thing up here.

He didn't have much time to speak to Pakku, but he had caught one look at him earlier. The man had more lines in his face than John remembered seeing last time. But he didn't move any slower; if anything, he was faster than a lot of the youngsters chasing him around. The wall was coming back up in graceful fits and starts.

Another thing you didn't see in the show was the fact that the healers were very, _very_ busy. They were running everywhere, from person to person. John didn't see what was happening with them, what exactly they did with the water, but he knew that where the men were laid out, the women went and knelt and stood. And the men stood with them.

Sometimes.

The only way John could heal fatigued muscles was food and rest, and he wouldn't be getting either any time soon.

He trudged up the steps to see Aang and the others leaving. He couldn't remember what exactly it was that made them leave, but he was sure it was something important.

"Hey!" he shouted, jumping up another couple stairs. The three looked down at him.

"John!" Aang said. "We're off to see some Spirits!"

"Spirits?"

"Yeah. It's gonna be great! The spirits are going to unleash this giant awesome spirit attack that will wipe out all the Fire Benders!"

John just stared at him. Aang stared at him for a moment before faltering in the face of John's stillness.

"Don't worry. I'm sure they'll help us," Katara said with a nod of her head.

John nodded. We'll need it, he thought.

-

Ryan panted.

They had gone through several ice tunnels, swimming their way under the entire damn city, or so it felt like. He had to admit, the show didn't do the whole experience justice. The water sapped all of the heat right out of you, and everything was cold and heavy. The only heat had been the burning in his lungs due to the whole 'I'm not breathing' thing. And now he was lying on the ice on the outskirts of the city, trying to get the heat to stop, trying to take as many breaths as he could – but take them slow.

Zuko knelt down next to him, less from pity and more from the fact that they were hiding in the shadows of a hostile city. It was not exactly what Ryan would have referred to as a restful time, especially given that the circumstances were less than restful, but what could he say? This was the time that was given to him.

The cold didn't lessen, per se, but the fire in his belly warmed him. He was able to sit up and flex his fingers.

"Are you ready?" Zuko whispered. Ryan nodded. He didn't dare say anything – he worried that the chattering in his teeth would be too much. It almost sounded like some kind of march. He got his feet under him though and stood, stiffly. But as they began to walk, it got easier, and by the time they reached the base of the stairs which they'd swum up under, he could walk normally again.

There was something about this place at night. Something beautiful, almost... primal. Not in the faux Native American kind of way – that had been sold out to the corporations – but there was something about snow and a moonlit night that reminded Ryan of home. He fought the upsurge down for a second, then paused and let it continue. Fire, after all, is an element of passion. You should hold your passions near.

Zuko looked up and down the stairs, then looked out. Ryan didn't see how this would be a good idea – they had the whole of the Water Tribes on high alert and not only that, it was a wide open space for crying out loud. And Zuko agreed. They retreated back into the shadows before they hitched their way on over to one of the walls. Zuko flexed his fingers, and Ryan suddenly had an idea as to how they would be getting up the walls.

Zuko slid one of his hands into the ice. It was like watching a hot knife slicing into butter. Then he stuck another hand up higher. Ryan was about to do the same, when Zuko looked over and shook his head.

"Why not?"

"You don't have enough control for this to work yet. Just follow my footholds, clear?"

Suddenly Ryan had a clear appreciation for what was happening here. If Zuko kept his hands hot for too long, the holds would grow too big or too slippery and they wouldn't be usable. Or worse – they'd be seen on account of taking too long. So Ryan waited in the shadow, crouched down, eyes open. Zuko began his ascent, and Ryan soon followed.

Even with the control of the Prince, it was still a hard thing. This _was_ ice, after all, and without any of the climbing tools he'd seen on television it was slippery work. It was what he should have expected. The first time he lifted up, he could have sworn that his fingers were just going to fly out, and he was sure that his feet would slip more than once. But somehow – fate, he guessed – they made it through.

Ryan's muscles ached – particularly in his arms and his fingers – but Zuko didn't stop. The boy was relentless, sprinting into the shadows again. Ryan followed him – through the large doors, through the main chamber where he knew that Arnook had given the call to war – and to a door in the back. It was smaller, but made of wood, something that he hadn't expected he'd find in this sort of clime. When they stepped through, he caught a blast of something that he hadn't expected – warm air. It revived him.

They were on a stony sort of landing and in front of them was a bridge. Zuko lowered his hood and began to walk and, after a moment, Ryan followed. A short distance away, he could see something that looked... well, to his anime-trained eyes, it looked like a torii, one of those iconic gate kind of things. He also saw four people.

The first three he recognized pretty quickly – Katara, Yue, and Aang, where they should have been, yes. But what he didn't expect was the fourth, and what was even more surprising was that he recognized the guy.

What the hell was John doing here?

The words of the scene passed through his ears like a breeze.

Ryan didn't know what John would do. He knew what he _should_ do – back the hell off and just leave it be. But that roiling flame that was in his stomach flared. John wasn't going to let this be. He wasn't sure how he could tell what was going on. But he just knew it. John wasn't going to let this be.

Zuko leaped forward, and Katara engaged, but Ryan's eyes were only on his brother. He was leaning forward, hands twitching – and before Ryan had a chance to blink, his hands were up. Water was already forming.

No. No, damn it, no!Ryan watched as the water raised to his command – something serpentine and strong. Without thought, Ryan punched outward, letting the air woosh out of him. Fire exploded from his fist, hissing into his brother's water and steaming it.

John looked over at him, and Ryan was shocked to see that there wasn't anything there that questioned or had a wide-eyed look. The eyes instead were still, level. Dead.

Ryan rushed in, but he couldn't focus. His technique was poor, his blows flailing and wide. John, by comparison, was level. The water snapped and flowed in his hands. Wherever Ryan aimed, there was a sheet to block him.

And then, before he could think, he felt an impact in his stomach – something punching into his gut. The air whooshed out of him and he was flattened out on the ground. It had been like a fist, but it was heavier, like a hammer and the water was on him now. It was freezing.

It was frozen. He couldn't move. He was sprawled out, pinned under the ice. Ryan could believe it – his brother, for better or worse, was just a better fighter – but what he couldn't believe was all of this. John had lifted his hand against him. How could it be? Was he just doing it to keep up appearances? Because if so, he was doing a hell of a job, that was for sure.

But that still didn't answer the why. They knew how to pull their punches. He liked to think they could have done a good job faking it if it came down to a fight, but this. This was real. This was...

Something surged in his chest. He could feel heat burning in his fingers, and he didn't care. He let it grow, brighter and brighter. He growled, then shouted, thrashing underneath the ice, and it shattered in his wake.

He scrambled to his feet. He saw John there – he did, really – but it wasn't the same. He knew it was John, knew it was his brother. Knew it was somebody who he really shouldn't hurt.

He also knew that he really, _really_ didn't care.

He took a deep, slow breath. And then he punched. But it wasn't just an arm thing like what had been before. He breathed out. And the punch started in his foot. It started in his foot, pushing off, traveling up his leg, through his waist where he torqued it forward. Up to his shoulder. The arm was almost an after thought. A snap. Loose, no tension.

Something red and angry and hot exploded out of his arm. All he saw was fire. There was a hissing in the roar – steam – the flames fizzled out. John had slid from the impact. His arms were wide, though. His expression asked one question: "Dude, what the fuck?"

He felt the sun rising. A warmth on the side of his face, and a blinding light in the side of his vision, streaming past and into this sanctuary here. He knew Zuko was going to make his move soon, and he needed to finish it. So.

He sprung forward and lifted his rear leg. Again, that surging from his middle, this time down his leg. He stomped – not down, but out – and felt it. A blast of flame like out of the bottom of a rocket. Again that hissing, steam sound. Ryan turned his head – Zuko had the Avatar – run! _Run!_

-

Disclaimer: Avatar: The Last Airbender is copyrighted to Bryan Konietzko and Michael DiMartino. I am just a humble fan.


	21. Chapter 21

Kyoudai

Chapter 21

-

Things aren't the way they were before  
You wouldn't even recognize me anymore  
Not that you knew me back then  
But it all comes back to me  
In the end

-Linkin Park, _In The End_

-

Ryan had been thinking run. He really had. He had every intention of seeing Zuko pick up the Avatar – no, Aang, it was Aang – and getting away, and Ryan joining him. It would all still go according to the script and everything would be just fine, just hunky dory peachy keen as much as you please..

He did not count on Katara. More specifically, he didn't count on the fact that she had a ridiculously accurate water whip. She snagged him at his feet and he was tripped before he could take more than three steps. He fell down to the ground, the air whooshing out of him. The smell of grass pervaded his nostrils.

Zuko didn't slow down. Ryan would have been offended, but he knew better. He was the bodyguard, after all. Falling in the line of duty was something that happened to bodyguards, and Zuko would have grown up expecting this kind of thing to happen. Iroh had explained this to him, and he could live with it, certainly he could. But he really, _really_ didn't want to be captive. Especially to his brother.

Just what had happened to him?

He felt a tugging on his foot. The ground slid by beneath him and he couldn't really get any purchase before he was lifted. He was hanging upside down from his feet, and staring into the eyes of a very pissed-off Katara. Her eyes were narrow and her nostrils flared.

"How _could_ you?" she asked.

"What?"

"You're John's brother! You're supposed to be helping us! But you helped _him_? What is the matter with you!"

Ryan didn't think that saying it was meant to be was the answer she would accept. So he shrugged – really hard to do when hanging upside down – and said, "I'm on a mission from God."

It turned out _Blues Brothers_ wasn't the quote that would have helped here. She dropped him, and he landed in a heap. When he looked back up again, both she and John were above him. Ryan heard a sudden change in the air, and his ears popped.

"What happened?" a voice – Sokka, Ryan thought – asked.

"It was Zuko," Katara said. "He got away with Aang."

"What!"

"Then all hope is lost," another voice said, softer. That must have been Yue.

"No it's not." Everyone turned to look at John. "He's going north. You'll find him in a cave. If you hurry, you might beat him to it."

John, what the fuck are you-

"But what about him?" Sokka asked, pointing at Ryan.

"I got him. Get going, we don't have time."

Katara gave him a look and shook her head before she turned on her heel and jogged to Appa. But Ryan didn't even see them take off. His eyes were only on his brother.

-

Elle sat on the bed, trying to stop the pounding in her head. Her vision told her this ship was doomed. Something terrible was going to attack it. Something big and white and wet, a creature of the Spirit World. Yet, as she was supposed to be dead, she couldn't even warn the crew.

Jannai sat down next to her. "What troubles you, sweet wife?" he whispered, taking her chin. "I promise, he will never find you here. And when we get back to the Fire nation, we shall have a surprise for him," he said, stroking her cheek. "I love you, you know. I will keep you safe."

Elle forced a smile. "I know. It's just getting home that scares me," she said, wondering why he made her so nervous. She loved him. She had agreed to marry him. He had saved her life.

"Let me worry about you," Jannai said, leaning in to kiss Elle. She relaxed and allowed him. He was her future husband and she had to act wifely.

"Dear me, doctor, is that a new part of your treatment?" a cruel voice said. "Or do you just enjoy wounded cabin boys?"

Jannai pulled away, but far too late. "So, let us see this new injured soldier that has caught your fancy," Zhao said, pulling back the curtain. "Why, seer, what has happened to you?" he asked. "You're injured."

Elle hissed and scooted back. "You tried to kill me," she snapped. "You choked me and then threw me into a closet."

Zhao smiled indulgently, to the two guards behind him. "Our beloved seer is clearly in a fit of madness. I would never lay a hand on your honored person. What sorts of visions have addled your mind?" he asked mockingly.

Elle stared up at him. "My mind isn't addled," she said. "I'm the Seer and it's my job to tell the truth. Touch me and it's treason against the Royal Family themselves." She tried to hold her head high, but the frustration was impossible. If only general Iroh was here…or Ryan. Ryan…that strange soldier who made her feel so…normal.

"Well, I won't take your delusions personally. The gods did entrust the powers of vision to a mere child, what can be expected? Put her in a prison cell, it's the safest place for her. We'd have to have her try and jump off the ship," Zhao said, as he snapped his fingers.

Elle whimpered as hands twisted her wrists behind her back. "Hush, my lady, this is for your own good," voices whispered. "You are safe."

"Yes, you are definitely worse for the wear. Doctor, what have you allowed to happen to this poor child? She's mad and wounded, a terrible failure on your part." Zhao drawled. "You will pay for her pain and suffering."

Jannai raised his chin, but he was pale with fear. "I know how she was injured, sir. And I think you do too," he hissed, as two soldiers flanked him.

"Then you must know for allowing her injury, you must be executed," Zhao said. "Take him to the brig as well. I will deal with him later. Keep them together, our seer will need someone to tend to her."

Elle struggled to get to her future husband as she was picked up and carried like a child. "I'm not mad, you must believe me."

"You'll be all right," Zhao said, patting her head in a fatherly way that made her skin crawl. "After my victory, I will take good care of you."

-

Ryan took a good, long look at his brother. He didn't look like he was doing all that well. There were bags under his eyes. His clothes – he was dressed in Water Tribe blues now, in the sleeveless tunic and the darker pants – they were hanging off of him. In a bad way, not the normal way.

But he lowered his hands and nodded. Ryan heaved a breath.

"Dude, what was that?" he asked.

"Had to make it look real," John said.

"Good job," Ryan said. He was sure there were bruises forming underneath his clothes, but he wasn't going to worry too much about it. "You been all right?"

"Fuck you."

"Well, I mean, I can see that you're tired, but really, I don't know what else. Things been going like they should be?"

"Well, yeah... and no." John looked away from him, and his shoulders slumped.

"Is it one or the other?"

"Fine, it's the other. Okay? It's the fucking other."

"What are you talking about, John?"

John sighed and gave Ryan a very hard look. "What do you think I'm talking about? You looked out there at all?"

"You mean the fleet?"

"Yeah. I mean the fleet. How the hell are there so many of them?"

"It's Elle-"

"The fuck you mean it's Elle?"

"I mean..." Ryan said, taking a long slow breath to collect himself, make this make more sense. It didn't help. "I mean that she is responsible for certain... inventions that have led to a distinct advantage."

"Inventions? Like what?"

"... the bra."

"You telling me bras did this?"

"And also maybe the assembly line. But other than that-"

Ryan stopped. John was looking at him. His face had an icy cast to it. His eyes were narrow, his lips pressed thin. But when he spoke, it was casual, deadpan. Good old John.

"You mean to say that your Jewish sort-of girlfriend is responsible for the massacre of an entire city?"

"What? No! She's not-"

"But she _is_," John said. His voice had gotten even quieter. "She made this possible, right? She made it possible for there to be more ships. That means more men, more firepower. That means more deaths for us. If she hadn't done that, this wouldn't be happening."

"But John, you don't get it," Ryan said, shaking his head. "She's... lost it. The Fire Nation got her but good. She's completely forgotten about home. John, she doesn't even know who she is."

"That doesn't help at all! All that means is that she went to this willingly-"

"No, John, it means that it's not _her_ anymore. It's her personality and her desire to do good, but Elle as we know her has gone bye-bye."

"Fine. It's not Elle anymore. So I can take her out, right?"

Ryan felt like he could breathe forever and it wouldn't be enough. A heaviness settled onto his stomach.

"John? Brother, what do you mean by that?"

"I mean we kill her."

"What? John, no. No, no, look, she's still in there somewhere, I know it, just give me some time-"

"_Time!_" John roared. "Time! You want to talk to me about fucking time? Lemme tell you all about it – we are out. All right? Shit has been getting real, and she's the one who's been calling the shots."

"John, you know that Elle would never willingly do this."

"Doesn't matter. Willing or not, she's done it. She's got the blood of men and women and children on her hands."

"I know."

"And you're _all right_ with that!"

"No!" Ryan shouted. "I'm trying to save her here. All right?"

"You're too late! You see that out there?" Ryan looked. The sun was higher now. The sky was bright and brilliant. It would have been picturesque except for the fact that there were black streaks of smoke. They looked like scars. "All right. You fucking see that, right? That's what she's responsible for. She's killing people – and worse, she wants to do it. How can you not see how fucked this is?"

"I know it's bad, John, but-"

"No! Look, the dying is real here. It's real and she's making it happen. The only way this goes away is if we take her out of the picture."

"Even if she's an innocent?"

"_She is not innocent_. She just doesn't know she's guilty yet."

Ryan looked at John for what felt like an eternity. His stomach tightened, churned, burned. Deep breath in, deep breath out.

"I see," he said. He stood up and stretched out his legs. He stood up straight. His fingers tingled with adrenaline. "If that is how you feel... then there is no way you're leaving the North Pole!"

-

Gods-damned Zhao. Elle was still somewhat in shock over the whole thing, the audacity of this man to put her – _her!_ - in prison. Just wait until Azula heard about this. When she did, Zhao would be sorry. The thought of him, hung by his thumbs to rot in the sun filled her with a glee that she could barely understand. It almost didn't feel right, burning in her head like that.

And then she remembered that she was behind bars, so forget about Zhao.

The cell wasn't particularly different. It was a cell for one, but it could pull double duty if it came down to a necessity. As it was, she had the bed. Jannai was pacing the length and breadth of the cell. The man seemed taken with a nervous anger, his jaw clenched and his eyes never staying in one place for very long. Elle was sitting on the bed. She was tired, true, but her nerves were dancing and she didn't feel as if laying down was going to do anything to help it.

She leaned against the wall, and was surprised that it was comfortable. Warm. There was a thrumming sound in it, probably from the engines. She could just fall asleep right here. Nobody would hold it against her, least of all Jannai. He'd probably be glad that she was taking the time to get any kind of rest at all.

"Elle," Jannai said, "whatever happens, I want you to know that this is my fault."

She didn't want to have this conversation right now. She was tired, locked in a brig and away from any chance of actually doing anything to affect the battle, which was a bad place to be right now. The thread that was holding her temper was rather frayed at the moment.

But she stuffed it down and managed to ask, "What do you mean?"

"I mean that because of me, you got found out. I wasn't able to protect you when you needed me. I let you down."

"Jannai-"

"What manner of husband will I be to you if I can't help you when you need me most?"

"But you did help me most," she said. "Don't you remember? It was you that helped me when Zhao stuck me in the closet in the first place. Remember? You're the one who carried me back and took care of me when doing so would have led to you being in great danger."

"I... yes, you're right."

"And besides. I wouldn't want anyone else to be here in this prison with me. Your being here... it makes things better." That wasn't strictly true. If Ryan had been there, she certainly wouldn't have complained about it. But the comfort that he would have brought to her was something different, something that she couldn't quite identify in a way that made a whole lot of sense. It was like something familiar, like a piece of home, although she barely knew him.

Home was home, though. It would have been good to have him near. But her husband-to-be didn't need to know that. Right now what he needed to hear was that he was the one holding her together. And it was mostly true. If he hadn't been here to do all this pacing, she probably would have been, ringing her hands and doing her best to stay calm. As it was, having him here, seeing him hurting over her... it was comforting in a way.

Jannai stopped his pacing and looked over at her. "If we get out of this, I promise. I'll have Zhao's head for this. I'll have him reported to Azula. He will pay for what he's done to us."

Elle nodded. She wasn't worried. She had a feeling that Zhao was in for the time of his life whether he wanted to be or not. His evil would not go unpunished. Yes, he would have his difficulties for sure.

"And then we can get married-"

Wow, she didn't want to have this conversation either. She knew it, and she knew that when they got out of here that Azula would have more work for her to do. And she'd be glad to do it, too, without a doubt, but there wouldn't be much time for weddings in the middle of all of that. She knew it. And he probably knew it too, if he was honest about it. But right now he couldn't focus on that or it would drive him insane. So, he wouldn't. He needed her right now. And she could be here for him.

There was a click at the door. Elle turned to the cell door. There was a guard there. His face was devoid of expression. Just a cold blank. Elle's heart fluttered in her chest, but she betrayed nothing. Zhao had been good practice for this.

Jannai was quiet too, although she suspected it had more to do with the fact that he didn't want trouble and less from reflex.

For a moment they all stood there, staring.

"Seer," the soldier said, bowing.

"What is it?" Elle asked. A wave of butterflies threatened to burst forth from her. What was this? Was she going to be executed? So soon?

"Admiral Zhao has gone ashore to lead the invasion. As such, we think it is only fitting that you both be released from captivity."

…

This was too good to be true.

"I beg your pardon?"

"We are aware of the pressure that the Admiral has kept on you... and we know that you protected us from his wrath on more than one occasion. You have been very kind to us, and we will return the favor."

The butterflies suddenly felt as if they were flying in formation. She stood up.

"We must get ready," she said. "Something is coming, and it will not be long."

-

Fighting is hard. It's you and some other guy, and the other guy is doing his best to hurt you. And it's not just him. It's you. Your body tires out and you start to get sloppy in your technique. If you have sloppy technique – a lowered guard, bad posture – then you do worse. You get hurt more. And the more hurt you get, the harder it is to focus on the technique.

If Ryan and John had been at it before, back at home, they would have worn each other out probably inside of two minutes. But this was a different kind of world. Here, it was nothing but chasing and being chased. John had spent his time training with the Avatar and the Water-Ninja-That-Would-Be-Katara. Ryan had spent his days training to be a bodyguard of a Crown Prince. These were basically eight hour jobs, doing nothing but practicing this exact thing. So as far as they were concerned, this was another day at the office.

When they'd started, the sun was up. The sun was down, now, and it was the moon. And John knew what that meant. So did Ryan, but John could use it.

John shifted his weight away from the fireball, and pulled from his waist. Water gathered in his hands and sprayed. It might have been something like a water hose, maybe, but the moon was with him. It burst forth from his hands like a fire hose. Ryan was trying – his palm was out and he looked like he was some kind of human flamethrower. But none of that. No sir. Give that man the hose.

Then, just when he was sure Ryan couldn't see, he made his move. John slammed his fist downward to his palm – a Chen-style move, but it would work – watched as the water under Ryan's feet turned to liquid. John watched him sink and breathed back out. The water froze back to ice.

John surveyed his handiwork. Ryan was stuck in the ice up to his waist. His hands were just barely contained. He was twitching and tugging back and forth. John had a feeling Ryan could break free of this easy if he wanted to, but the effect was clear. John had this fight. It was his to win or lose at his discretion.

And fuck losing.

"You're a Goddam moron, you know that?" John said with a shake of his head. "I mean, you're picking a fight with me on my turf. I was already better than you. I mean, really."

Ryan panted in the snow.

"You think this is going to make a difference? You really think so? I mean, come on. You want to keep things the way they need to be, you have to lose this fight."

No answer. Ryan was stiller now.

"I'm going to kill her." God, but it felt good to say that. Not that he hated her, really – even if she did always think too much of herself – but it felt good to have a solution that would work. "I won't make it hurt. But she's not coming out of this."

"You're talking about murder."

"Ryan, this is a world at war. People die. She's gonna be one of them."

"She's _not_ a them. She's a person. She's one of us. And when we get back home and away from all of this, if you kill her, she's going to be a body. And you're going to have to answer for that. Can you?"

Well, no. He hadn't thought of that.

"I mean, can you think of a way to convince _anyone_ back home that this actually happened?"

John stared at Ryan for a moment, then shook his head.

"Man... I can't think about that. You don't even know if we _can_ get home. You figure a way out, we could talk. 'til then, she's got to go."

Ryan lapsed into silence, and the ice around him began to steam. John sighed, and shrugged. "Well, least I could do is help you out." He swept his hand up. Ryan shot out of the ice on a geyser. He hung in midair for an instant before crashing back down to the ice below.

Ryan was up on his hands and knees now, and John had no intention of actually letting this guy get back up again – but that was when the moon went out.

Not out, per se. He could still see. The stars were still shining. But the light was... halved. It was a true night time now, something long and dark, and without the moon suddenly everything was so very, very heavy. John dropped his arms to his side, and suddenly he was panting. But Ryan didn't press his advantage. He was too busy standing there, gawking.

Shit. The game was hitting overtime right about now.

"The grove!" Ryan shouted. John nodded, and the two ran for it, ran through the ruined city. The fighting all around had seemed to lull. Apparently the Fire Nation couldn't abide this wrongness either. John nodded to himself, with the grudging respect one pays to the guy on the other side of the field.

Ryan eventually slowed, and John took the lead – which he should have done anyway; he practically lived here now – dashing up the stairs into the palace. They were through in almost a minute, through the door in the back. John barely noted the change in the weather, the way the air stopped stinging his lungs. His eyes were only on Aang, only on the monk standing there in the pool.

And then he watched as the boy sank.

-

Elle stood on the bridge, looking out at the city. She had given the order – "Signal the troops, we have to withdraw!" - but everything was taking so _long_. Jannai had explained it to her – chains of command, Zhao had to be reached first, so on, so forth – but the only thing she heard in the midst of it was that man's name. Couldn't he do anything right? He could have listened to her. He could have avoided this whole thing, but no. He was only concerned with himself and with his glory.

Well, fine, Zhao. Go ahead and rot, she thought. But don't take your men down with you!

Then her heart skipped a beat. The bad thing. It was happening. The entire city glowed blue. Something was moving in there. Something big.

She felt the deck shake beneath her feet as men came up running. One of them was the Captain, Zhou, and the other was Jannai.

"What in the hells is that?" Zhou asked.

"It's what I saw," Elle shouted. "Give the signal to withdraw! It's too late for the soldiers on shore!"

"Beloved," Jannai said, "I need to move my patients." He didn't wait for her to say that it was all right, though she would have.

Zhou was back inside, but Elle couldn't take her gaze off the city. She had to see it. She had to see it coming.

It was huge. It stood up out of the city. The thing. Made out of water and light, glowing like the moon. It waded out to meet the ships. She didn't understand – these ships were fast. Why were they not moving?

And then she looked around and her heart sank. They were too many, and they were too close. If they moved straight in reverse, the monster would keep the pace with them. They couldn't all turn, or else they'd be slamming into each other.

And she was struck suddenly, in the deep part of herself. Like it had all led up to this. That this was one vision that nothing she did could change. One by one, ships were attacked – overturned, flooded. The Spirit monster did not spare them. Try as they might to turn and run, there was nothing to be done for it. And then the monster was upon them.

She looked at it, tried to see into its eyes. After all, she was from the Spirit World. Maybe she could get the monster to be calm, to slow down.

But where she looked, there was no pity.

The monster swept its hand. It was fast, she didn't even see it. And there was a horrible grinding sound. She turned and watched as the structure slid apart. The ship shifted and groaned underneath her feet. And where was Jannai?

She wanted to run, but the deck was shifting too far, and it was too much. She held onto the rail there for dear life – but it wasn't long. Half a moment. And that was all it took for her to see it. The people. There were people in there. She couldn't make out their eyes, but she saw the way they were all froze up, right there. They were caught up in their fate, same as she.

Then a booming crash, like thunder as all that metal sank into the sea, and the people with it. The boat righted itself, and Elle stumbled as it shifted one way and then another. But she was running soon. She was inside the main structure – Zhou was still at the wheel; his eyes were wide, but he seemed steady – dashing up the stairs. The air was cold on these stairs, but she didn't think about it.

She didn't know what floor it was. She just knew that she got up there when the moonlight streamed down from the sky. She saw him there, leaned against the wall. She cried out and dashed over, sliding down beside him. She fumbled for his neck – there! She almost sobbed in relief as she felt him thrumming beneath her fingers. And it was strong, too. Good.

She reached out and folded him in her arms, rocking back and forth in the moonlight.

-

Kishi: Just an epilogue and this first piece will be done! I know, right?

Disclaimer: Avatar: The Last Airbender is copyrighted to Bryan Konietzko and Michael DiMartino. I am just a humble fan.


	22. Chapter 22

Kyoudai

Epilogue

-

Set it on fire!

Set it on fire!

Set it on fire!

Set it on fire!

- Mutemath, _The Nerve_

-

John had thought that the work would never be done. He had gotten used to it, all of it – the burning and the smoke. If one could be said to ever be used to something like that. The part of him that wanted to turn around and run, run as fast as he could so he never saw this again was buried down. Instead, he was ice. Cold and clear. And hard.

After Aang had done the big white fish thing, Zhao and the other Fire Nation folk had ran out. Ryan hadn't stuck around, but he was practically a lapdog for Zuko.

John shook his head, sitting on the steps of the palace. It wasn't Ryan's fault. It was Elle's fault. This could have all been wacky, fun-time adventures, but no. Not anymore. She had to go and make everything all dark and crazy.

He grit his teeth. They were going to make this right, somehow. Sooner she was out of the picture, the better.

He heard a scuff behind him and whipped his head around. It was Aang. The monk looked tired, his eyes baggy, and he didn't have that same skip in his step that John had just managed to get used to. But his staff was not dragging, and the kid was still grinning that goofball grin. So things were near enough to okay.

"Hey," John said.

"Hey." Aang slumped down next to John. The staff was laid across his lap, yet not poking John in any real way.

"Nice move with the fish. Was it everything you hoped it would be?"

"It was great," Aang said. "It was a lot more the spirit than me, though. I really don't remember any of it."

Considering just how many people had been killed in the attack, maybe it was for the best that Aang didn't remember.

John didn't say anything, though. He just heaved a sigh and looked out at the city. He would have been out there working on repairs, but nobody was doing anything like that. Everyone was just too tired. The attack had almost been the end of this place. More was being done now to get a bodycount done than anything else. But that was something that families were taking care of on their own. He didn't have any part in that, and it wasn't his to worry over now. Meant he could rest.

All the same, he had the feeling that practice for the next month was going to be games of who could build the most. And that was going to suck.

"I heard about what happened. Between you and your brother."

"Did you."

"I did. And I want to know what I can do to help."

John glanced over at him with a raised eyebrow. "Help? With what?"

"With getting him back. Something weird's happened to him. Otherwise, why would he be helping Zuko?"

"Wha- no. That's not what needs help. It's somebody else."

"What do you mean?"

"Ryan and I aren't the only strangers here. There's another... she's the reason for all the trouble."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, the ships, the weapons, Jeong Jeong's capture... all of it's her fault."

"And what do you mean to do about it?"

"Takin' her out," John said with a firm nod.

"You mean you're going to...?"

"Yep. Don't care if she doesn't know what she's doing. She's gone."

They sat there for a while in silence. John let the weight of his idea sink in, press down on the Avatar for all it was worth. He wasn't ashamed. He would kill her for what she'd done.

Aang was silent. John was sure that the boy had meant to meditate and simply drifted off to sleep. He didn't blame the kid – though how you could sleep out in the cold like this was a mindbender of a thought – when he spoke.

"She's part of it, then. She brought this on. This suffering. And you want to visit it back on her."

"Yeah... yeah, I do."

"But you know it won't just be her," Aang said. "It'll be her family. And her friends. You're going to set off a chain of suffering."

"After the chains she's made, I really don't think it matters."

"Maybe. I remember Monk Gyatso telling me that one thing breeds another, and it's always the same thing."

"Meaning?"

"That suffering leads to suffering – if you let it."

"If I... Aang, what do you want from me? You think I should just let her go? Get more people hurt?"

"No. But whatever it is you do, I only think that it should stop all the suffering it can – including hers."

"Chief, I don't see how her suffering is my problem."

"Well, think about it. Would you rather be a part of her problem – or do you want to be more than that? You can be one of the many that suffers – or you can be one of the few that makes it stop for everyone."

That struck a chord. Few. Proud. Marine. That was what he'd wanted to be back home, back before all of this had started. Had Aang somehow... no. He couldn't have known. But there was no denying it – almost a clarion call to what he had wanted to be.

So was Aang right? Did he want to rise above what he wanted? Did he want to stand out from the rest?

Was it even right to worry about that kind of thing at this point?

Much to think about.

"I ain't promising you nothing," John said. "But... I will think on it."

"It's all I can ask," Aang said. "Now, if it's all the same to you. I'm going to go find a place to sleep."

-

It had all happened so fast. One minute, Aangzilla was raging through Snow Tokyo, and the next they were running after Zhao. Ryan didn't step in on that fight. It wasn't his to have, and he knew it. Aang eventually swept through, did his thing, and Zhao was gone. Good riddance.

But honestly, right now, lying on the raft and staring up at the moon, everything was just running together. He couldn't focus on one single thing except for how very alone he was. Elle and John had both abandoned the cause, and now here he was. And he'd have to come in between them.

Steady, steady. The ocean is calm, and the moon is bright.

"What's this?" Iroh asked. Ryan stifled a groan and sat up. He blinked in surprise and adjusted his glasses.

It was a Fire Nation ship. Nothing huge, not like the grand things that had been made to snuff out the north pole, but it was something. Something not unlike the ship Zuko had had when this whole cluster-fuck had gotten started.

They were spotted. Ryan guessed this on account of the fact that a smaller boat was steaming out to meet them. Zuko had heard it and was sitting up now. He was frowning.

"What is this? Another of Zhao's tricks?"

Ryan shook his head. He didn't think so, but then, was there any telling at this point?

The boat pulled alongside. There were soldiers aboard. Too many to fight. Ryan held his breath.

"The Lady Elle, Seer and Favored of the Fire Lord, presents this ship and its crew as a token of her esteem."

… Really? Zuko and Ryan shared a glance. Ryan shrugged. It just went to show. Sometimes you just had to be nice to people.

-

"Iroh is a traitor, and Zuko is a failure. I have a task for you both."

Azula could look upon the Fire Lord. Elle was content to remain kneeling, basking in the warm glow of the flames.

-

Kishi: … and, that's a wrap. For now.

To be perfectly honest, I had a heck of a time figuring out how exactly to do this thing. Originally it was going to be an attempt to make this more slapsticky, something of an adventure story. I was going to do more with the angle of the world's workings coming unraveled. What I didn't figure out until far too late was that it was the wrong kind of story.

Hotspur came aboard the project because she liked what she saw and thought it would be interesting. More than that, she saw the kind of story that this could be, and she wasn't afraid to tell me so. I wonder how I should feel that it's turned out to be a darker, more serious kind of ride. And then I remember that it's still fun to write, so.

Thank you all for reading. No new reviews since, like, forever, but I see hits, and some of them are even on the last chapters. That hopefully means that you folks are enjoying this enough to stick around. I am thankful for the time you take.

So! I'm looking to do a lot more writing in the coming month. Hope I'll see you all there!

Disclaimer: Avatar: The Last Airbender is copyrighted to Bryan Konietzko and Michael DiMartino. I am just a humble fan.


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